The 2018 season ended in disappointment for the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton and company began the year 6-2 but ended the season on a 1-7 skid.

The Panthers began to fall apart after Newton injured his shoulder. It was unknown when he officially suffered the injury but he took a huge hit in Week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Carolina lost the game to the Steelers with a score of 52-21. Their season began spiraling downward from that with Newton saying it was a “humbling piece of pie” to be beaten by the Steelers in the fashion that they were.

After that loss, Newton never seemed to look his usual self. His shoulder bothered him down the stretch, with the Panthers shutting him down after Carolina's Week 14 contest against the New Orleans Saints.

In that game, Newton completed just 16 of his 29 passing attempts and only managed to throw for 131 yards. Newton is known for his strong arm but he struggled to be able to throw the ball downfield.

Currently, Newton is on track to start in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. Can Newton return to being an MVP candidate again in 2019? Yes.

The Panthers are coming into 2019 ready to pick back up where they left off before their Week 10 loss against the Steelers. Furthermore, Carolina has a ton of offensive weapons at Newton's disposal in 2019.

The Panthers lost Devin Funchess in free agency but D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel are ready to step into larger roles moving forward. Also, the Panthers added Chris Hogan this offseason to bring an experienced receiver.

Plus, Christian McCaffrey is one of the most dynamic weapons in the NFL. One of the only things that can slow down Newton in 2019 is another injury.

Newton was showing a ton of signs of improving as a pocket passer in 2019 in Norv Turner's offense. The mobile quarterback showed his ability to be precise in throwing it and still use his legs as a weapon.

In the eight games that Newton played in before getting hurt, he threw for 1,893 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. His efficiency within the offense was impressive in his first season with Turner as his offensive coordinator.

There seemed to be newfound confidence in Newton when it came to making pre-snap adjustments at the line of scrimmage. These were things that were lacking earlier in Newton's career.

Again, you can't tell Newton to stop using his legs to make plays, that's what makes him so dangerous. Although, Newton is going to have to be cautious when running it, avoiding any unnecessary hits.

People are beginning to talk about Newton like he is beginning the downhill part of his career. The Panthers drafting Will Grier in this year's draft didn't give fans any comfort in terms of their quarterback situation.

Newton hasn't been cleared to throw a football yet this offseason, leaving fans to be concerned with their star quarterback. It is concerning that he isn't able to throw a football yet but there's plenty of time for him to get back into the groove of things.

The Panthers franchise quarterback is going to need to be more than ready to square off against the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Aaron Donald in Week 1. Donald could make the beginning of Newton's 2019 campaign a rough one.

Last season, we saw Andrew Luck come back from a shoulder injury and put together an MVP-caliber season. In 2019, it could be deja vu with Newton taking the place of Luck and showcasing just how good of a quarterback he is once again.

Just a few years ago, Newton had his way against opposing defenses en route to an MVP trophy. The franchise signal caller will show critics why he's not even close to done being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL just yet.