Newton, coming off a Pro Bowl season, didn't want the pain to linger beyond this early part of the offseason. The Panthers are undergoing a major roster overhaul around him, following the retirement of left tackle Jordan Gross and the release of wide receiver Steve Smith. Given Newton is the franchise's most valuable player and will be up for a contract extension later this year, there's no reason to take any chances with his health.
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He's well versed in Mike Shula's offense. The bigger concern is whether Newton, with a remixed offensive line and the team needing to break in new targets at wideout, can expedite the process of jelling with his new supporting cast while he's unable to do extended offseason work before camp.
