How many injuries has Cam Newton had during his career?

Quarterback Cam Newton has returned to the Carolina Panthers, the team that he once led to the Super Bowl. The Panthers chose Newton as the first overall draft pick in 2011 and had a successful run with him at the helm.

But after nine seasons, the Panthers cut the former MVP loose, after he missed most of the 2019 season due to surgery.

That operation was just one of many that the 32-year-old has undergone in the course of his stellar albeit injury-ridden career. His propensity for being on the receiving end of bodily harm has been exhibited for years. Here’s a look at the damage his body has sustained since he started playing ball.

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A long history of injuries

This particular history begins In 2008, when Newton was on his second season at the University of Florida. He sprained his ankle during the season opener and had to stay on the sidelines for his whole sophomore year.

When he started his NFL career with the Panthers, it was smooth sailing for his first two years during which he didn’t miss any games. There was a slight hiccup in 2012, when he had mild ankle sprain which was ruled a minor injury and didn’t cause him to skip any matches.

In 2014, Newton hurt his ankle again, this time a little more seriously- enough to undergo a procedure to tighten the ligaments in his left ankle and give him a wider range of motion.

Later that year, he fractured a rib in a preseason game, causing him to miss the first game of the regular season.

An accident off the field

Super Cam wrapped up 2014 with yet more surgery, after he was involved in a car accident where he endured two transverse process fractures in his lower back.

Two years later, he took a strong hit to the head in the Week 4 game that was declared a concussion.

The three-time Pro Bowler also partially tore the rotator cuff of his throwing shoulder in 2016, for which he had surgery in March 2017. After this procedure, he was able to recover and go on to play all 16 games of that year.

However, he started 2018 with ligament and cartilage damage and intense swelling to his knee. He elected not to go under the knife to deal with the issue.

A nasty hit

In Week 10 of the 2018 season, he once again hurt his shoulder after it took a terrible hit from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt’s helmet. Newton’s hurt shoulder affected his game for the rest of the season, killing the team’s playoff aspirations. He underwent surgery in January 2019 to have it repaired, and the procedure turned out to be complex.

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Later that year, his last with the Panthers, he aggravated a foot injury in Week 2 and ended up with a Lisfranc fracture, which disabled the middle of his foot. This prevented him from planting his feet without pain, so he had to sit out the season after just two weeks in. He recovered from the fracture at a much slower pace than was expected, and eventually had surgery to patch up his foot.

Newton was last hurt in June this year during the New England Patriots’ OTA practice session. He suffered a slight bone bruise on his right hand just as he was ready to participate in the Patriots’ mandatory mini-camp.