When the Carolina Panthers selected West Virginia quarterback Will Grier in the third round of the NFL Draft last weekend, many saw it as a sign that the Panthers were worried about the future of Cam Newton.
After all, Newton has undergone a pair of surgeries on his throwing shoulder since the end of the 2016 campaign, so it's only natural to think that Grier could end up usurping him at some point in the near future.
However, Newton is completely fine with having a rookie quarterback as a teammate:
“You would think that I'd feel intimidated, and that's not the case here,” said Newton, via Josh Sims of Fox 46. “I've actually seen Will play in high school, with him being in Charlotte, and I'm just excited. Like I said, for him to come on the team, I know he possesses a rare talent, and I'm excited.
“For me, it's my job to put myself and this team in the best situation, and to get everybody ready, and whether that's Will, whether that's Terry, whether that's Elijah, whether that's Christian McCaffrey, it doesn't matter. I want to make sure that I'm my best teammate and my best self for everyone.”
That's certainly a healthy approach.
Newton was actually enjoying one of the best seasons of his career this past season before his shoulder started acting up, and he ended up finishing with 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 67.9 percent of his passes and registering a passer rating of 94.2. He was shut down for the final two games of the year.
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