Even if he doesn’t ball out with the Patriots this year, Cam Newton’s exit from the Panthers will go down as one of the most unfortunate episodes in the franchise’s history. The truth is former Carolina coach Ron Rivera mismanaged Newton’s injuries, beginning with the first time he hurt his shoulder late in the 2016 season.
When it was re-injured midway through 2018, Newton probably should have been shut down once it became clear his arm strength was significantly reduced. Rivera and the coaching staff bear the brunt of that failure. However, some people think Newton should have known better than trying to play through it.