Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was a limited participant in the team's practice Tuesday but running back Christian McCaffrey was happy to have him back, even if it was only for a few plays.
New offensive coordinator Norv Turner and quarterbacks coach Scott Turner have changed Newton's mechanics to take the pressure off of his shoulder, and it's something that he has worked really hard on to improve. McCaffrey and the rest of the team have taken notice of what their leader has done and is excited about him being back.
“Obviously, he brings a lot of energy to the team,” McCaffrey said via ESPN. “And seeing him throw was really good. Getting the ball out of his hands, letting him go out and whoop it around a little bit … so it's good. He's done a heck of a job working hard and we're happy to have him back.”
Last season Newton was shut down because he had problems throwing the ball down the field but after a shoulder and a changed throwing motion the hope is that is behind him.
Ron Rivera has also taken notice of how much better Newton looks and thinks he should be back to the same Cam from before the shoulder problems.
“If you go back and look at a lot of things that happened before he started having shoulder issues, you can see the improvement, you can see the footwork, you can see the whole development of him,” coach Ron Rivera said.
“As the shoulder started to go, then you saw everything fall by the wayside. Now you get an opportunity to go back, rework those things, do the things he needs to do to improve. He's done a great job.”
How much Newton will practice on Wednesday depends on how his shoulder responds to Tuesday's workout but all signs point towards him being fully healthy for the start of the 2019 NFL season.