The Carolina Panthers had a disappointing season again this year and owner David Tepper thinks a big reason was the health of Cam Newton's shoulder.
The Panthers started out their season 6-2 and they looked like a Super Bowl contender. That's when the wheels fell off with the Panthers losing seven games in a row and Newton's shoulder appearing to get worse.
With the Panthers eliminated from playoff contention, the team decided to rest Newton for the last two games of the season. Newton tried to play the shoulder injury off as minor, but Tepper said it was a big factor as the season wore on.
“There’s no secrets there. Cam’s shoulder was obviously an issue the second half of the season,” Tepper said via the Panthers team website. “I think it was pretty well known that he wasn’t throwing in practices. That was probably a problem. That threw off his rhythm. And at the end of the season, we couldn’t throw the ball downfield – which was a big problem.”
The shoulder injury will be a big question mark going into next season and the team is going to need him at 100 percent at the start of the year. There hasn't been talk about him needing surgery, which is a plus, but could still be something that is needed later on.
Don't be surprised if the Panthers are in the market for an experienced vet this offseason to back up Newton in case he isn't able to complete the season again. The expectation is that he will be able to play for a full season, but that was also the expectation going into this season and it didn't turn out to be the case.
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