For the second consecutive week, Cam Newton is not throwing on a Wednesday – it doesn’t seem like it will be the last time for the Panthers to hold their star quarterback out on Wednesday, either.
But it doesn’t mean he can’t get his reps in.
Newton didn’t throw during the open portion of practice, but Ron Rivera said that one thing he liked from Newton, who was 21-of-29 for 219 yards last week against the Ravens, was how he was communicating with his receivers even if he wasn’t the one throwing the passes during drills – tweaking their routes and ensuring they’re doing just what he wants on Sunday.
“Whether mentally or physically, you can still be as in it,” said Newton. “Not necessarily taking the reps, but knowing where you’re supposed to go with the football or whatnot and that’s what pretty much I did today.”
“You know the old saying – Work smarter, not harder.”
This isn’t the first time this has happened – after shoulder surgery ahead of the 2017 season, Newton didn’t throw for much of training camp and didn’t throw during the early practices of the week – nothing on Wednesdays and underneath stuff on Thursdays before being a full go on Fridays. While he may not like not being able to participate, he’s at least used to it – he pointed out that this wasn’t the first time he’s had this schedule.
The lack of throws for Newton was part of the reason the Panthers chose to bring back quarterback Kyle Allen to the practice squad – they needed a “third arm” for Wednesdays and Thursdays; last week, the reason for Newton not throwing during practice were the 22 pass attempts in the fourth quarter at Philadelphia, but now that we’ve entered “the new normal,” Wednesdays are almost like a vet day for the eight-year vet’s surgically-repaired shoulder.
“He’ll throw the ball at the end of the week like he’s done in the past and we’ll play football on Sunday,” said Rivera.
While Newton was on the practice field but not throwing, wide receiver Torrey Smith missed practice again – he sat out the entire week before being ruled out against Baltimore with a knee injury suffered during the win over the Eagles – while rookie safety Rashaan Gaulden and linebacker Andre Smith returned to participate in full.
Rivera said after practice that they don’t have a targeted return for Smith, they’ll just listen to what the trainers and doctors say; Matt Kalil, who was eligible to return to practice two weeks ago, was also not present at practice. Check out the full report below:
| Player | Injury | Practice Participation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Adams | Rest | None | "The New Normal" |
| Julius Peppers | Rest | None | "The New Normal" |
| Torrey Smith | Knee | None | Rivera said after practice he does not have a target for Smith to return. |
| Cam Newton | Right Shoulder | Limited | "The New Normal" |
| Greg Olsen | Foot | Limited | |
| Rashaan Gaulden | Ankle | Full | |
| Andre Smith | Hamstring | Full |
