Cam Newton still feels a 'thump' in ankle

The Panthers have remained optimistic, but the pain in QB Cam Newton’s ankle hasn’t gone away just yet, a reminder he’s not quite 100 percent.

No one really expects him to play tonight in their opener against the Bills, with coach Ron Rivera saying yesterday he wanted to make sure Newton could “protect himself.”

“It’s like a thump from your mom when you said something that you weren’t supposed to, she’ll thump you dead in your ear or on your head,” Newton said, via the Charlotte Observer. “It’ll hurt for that little second but it’ll go away after 2-3 minutes. It’s a reminder that, hey, you better check yourself.”

After having surgery in March to tighten loose ligaments in his ankle, Newton’s clearly not ready to run as he normally would, with few such chances in training camp. He said he can tell there’s still something there. If it limits his running, and without a new group of receivers, Newton's stock could drop a little as a result of this news.