Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been encouraged by his recovery from shoulder surgery.
The 29-year-old said during an interview on Wednesday his throwing shoulder is feeling good after he underwent an arthroscopic procedure earlier this month.
"It's good. It's better than I thought it would be," Newton said during an appearance on Atlanta station 680 The Fan. "There was so much going on throughout the season. I was in fear, in fear to see what actually was wrong."
Newton struggled with shoulder soreness during the season and the team shut him down for their final two games after they were out of playoff contention.
He ended up completing 67.9 percent of his passes and threw for 24 touchdowns, along with 13 interceptions, in 2018.
"As the game progressed [last season], I started to feel fatigue in my shoulder," Newton said. "That's what was so frustrating. It didn't matter how much I would grind, how much I would muscle up and try to throw it – it wasn't going far."
Newton said the season was frustrating.
"I knew something was wrong," Newton said. "For me, being in that position, I didn't want to let my team down. I didn't want to let my fans, or even myself down to a degree. There's a benchmark that you set for yourself, and when it's not met, you're frustrated."
The Panthers started 2018 with wins in six of their first eight games but lost seven of their final eight to finish 7-9.