Cam Newton underwent shoulder surgery yesterday. It was an arthroscopic procedure, and the team didn't release a timeline for his recovery. Personally, and since I have Newton on a couple of dynasty rosters, I'm considering this to be good news.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Panthers owner David Tepper was unsure if Newton would have the surgery, suggesting that rest and rehab might be an option. That concerned me, because sometimes players spend a good chunk of time trying the rest and rehab course of action, and wind up having surgery anyway. Going that route wouldn't have helped Newton get back on the field sooner; it might have led to the opposite -- a longer period of time of him being out of action.
Back then, Tepper casually mentioned the possibility of Newton missing the entire 2019 season if he underwent surgery. Looking at the actual quote, it doesn't look particularly troubling; more of an off-the-cuff remark by someone who was asked to compare his quarterback to Andrew Luck (who missed the 2017 season). "If you told me he took a year off and could recover and be fully recovered and everything else, and that's what it took, an extra year, why wouldn't you do that," he said.
At this point, no one knows (or if they do, they aren't saying) what Newton's recovery time might be. But arthroscopic surgery doesn't sound terrible, and the fact that it's occurring in January, rather than at the start of training camp, sounds good -- the move of a quarterback who wants to get things out of the way and healed long before the start of the season.
This doesn't mean I would jump to select Newton in the best-ball fantasy drafts for 2019 which have already begun. Crazy, right? But I think it's a good sign for his 2019 status.
On the field, Newton remains a top fantasy quarterback. We're still putting together files on 2018 numbers, but in my main fantasy league -- which gives quarterbacks 1 point for every 30 passing yards and 10 rushing yards, 4 points for passing scores and 6 for rushing, and penalizes 2 points for interceptions -- Newton was the 7th-best fantasy quarterback on a per-game basis.
| TOP 20 FANTASY QBs, 2018, PER GAME | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | FFPts/G |
| 1. | Patrick Mahomes, K.C. | 24.51 |
| 2. | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 19.66 |
| 3. | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 19.65 |
| 4. | Deshaun Watson, Hou. | 18.88 |
| 5. | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 18.77 |
| 6. | Ryan Fitzpatrick, T.B. | 18.75 |
| 7. | Cam Newton, Car. | 18.54 |
| 8. | Drew Brees, N.O. | 18.53 |
| 9. | Andrew Luck, Ind. | 18.33 |
| 10. | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 17.96 |
| 11. | Mitchell Trubisky, Chi. | 17.86 |
| 12. | Jared Goff, LAR | 17.10 |
| 13. | Philip Rivers, LAC | 16.73 |
| 14. | Kirk Cousins, Minn. | 16.26 |
| 15. | Carson Wentz, Phil. | 15.71 |
| 16. | Matt Barkley, Buff. | 15.70 |
| 17. | Dak Prescott, Dall. | 15.24 |
| 18. | Baker Mayfield, Clev. | 15.15 |
| 19. | Tom Brady, N.E. | 15.12 |
| 20. | Jameis Winston, T.B. | 14.80 |
It will be a rehab to monitor, but I'm feeling good about Newton being fine for the 2019 season.
--Andy Richardson