Cam Newton should be back for Carolina training camp

Newton is scheduled to go under the knife on March 30 to repair an injury to his rotator cuff that he suffered during their week 14 clash with the San Diego Chargers.

He had hoped to avoid surgery, but Panthers head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion said his pain had increased when he tried stepping up off-season work levels.

"We developed a plan for Cam to take a period of rest, a period of rehabilitation and treatment, and then start a gradual throwing program the first part of March," Vermillion said."Cam started his program, and the early parts of his rehab had been going well. 

"However, as we worked to advance him into the next stage - the strengthening stage, the throwing stage - he started to have an increase in his pain level and started having pain while throwing.

"As a result, Dr. Pat Connor [head team physician] felt the most prudent procedure would be to arthroscopically repair the shoulder.

"The thing we need to stay away from the most is throwing, but he will start immediately with range of motion and rotator cuff exercises.

"The positive thing, unlike when he had ankle surgery [in 2014], is that he will still be able to work on his conditioning, work on his core, work on the rest of his body.

"Twelve weeks following surgery, Cam will begin an early throwing program with me. If he progresses well he will start throwing with the team at 16 weeks after surgery and we'll go from there. Our goal is to have him back at the start of training camp."