SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- For the third time in the first week of training camp, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton did not participate in any drills -- a sign that he remains a "work in progress'' in his return from offseason shoulder surgery.
But the 2015 NFL MVP said Thursday that it was a relief to throw a 45-yard pass without pain -- something he couldn't do at the end of last season -- during the first practice a week ago.
"It was a sigh of relief for a lot of people, because I wasn't right at the end of the season,'' said Newton, speaking to reporters for the first time at camp.