Over the course of the NFL preseason, there have been some concerns from the Carolina Panthers about Cam Newton's health and whether he'd be ready for Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Newton is recovering from offseason surgery on a torn rotator cuff. Although he is listed as questionable to play against the 49ers, Newton will play, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

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This, of course, is good news for the Panthers as they head into a season in which the team hopes to bounce back from a disappointing 2016 campaign. Newton is the undisputed leader of this football team and crucial to the franchise's success.

Along with Newton expected to play in Week 1 against the 49ers, the Panthers will see the debut of rookie running back Christian McCaffrey. If McCaffrey is as advertised, Carolina could have one of the most dynamic one-two punches in the league with a healthy Newton and McCaffrey coming out of the backfield.

Only time will tell if the Panthers can get back to form as one of the NFC's elite teams but with Newton ready to go and McCaffrey receiving high praise from his new teammates, Ron Rivera's squad is poised to get off to a strong start.