Newton says he’ll play hurt again to win
Cam Newton is on a pitch count in training camp, recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and an injury he said should have kept him on the sideline.
But with the Carolina Panthers fighting for a possible wild-card spot last season, Newton said he felt like it was his job as the quarterback to be on the field.
“As a quarterback in this league, you’re unanimously the leader, right?” Newton said in an interview with Peter King.
“We needed that game. I felt as if I wanted to give my team everything that I had, honestly. Being hurt, being injured ... looking back at it, it probably wasn’t the smartest, efficient thing, knowing that I left it all out there on the field. And if you asked me if I’d do it again, I’d do it again.
“I just know my worth to this team, know how much these guys believe in me and how much I believe in them. I’m willing to do that and I know I’ve seen other guys do the same thing, too.”
With Newton firing the ball forcefully and placing deep throws in the hands of his receivers in early training camp workouts, a message is being sent to those projecting his game will change dramatically after his latest shoulder surgery.
“Now, being older, you kind of look at things different,” said Newton. “For me, it’s not that I’m limited with certain things or that I’m not capable of doing certain things, it’s just other ways to do it.
“I’m not saying I’m not going to run people over. I’m not saying I’m not going to run the football. I’m not saying I’m not going to throw the ball down the field. I’m just in a position now where none of that matters but one thing, and that’s winning football games. If it requires me to do all those things, I’m willing to do it.”
Newton isn’t envisioning becoming a pocket passer.
“You can look back at any type of sport, and as a player grows, your game has to change. I remember reading and seeing a lot of clips about Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Brett Favre, even Peyton Manning to a degree,” Newton said.
“When you get old, you have to change certain things.”