Quarterback Cam Newton led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl and earned the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award in the 2015 season.

But the former Auburn star took a step back last year, and the Panthers went with him, falling from 15-1 in the 2015 regular season to 6-10 in 2016.

Last season, Newton had his lowest passer rating, completion percentage and percentage of passes that were touchdowns in his NFL career. He also had his fewest rushing yards and lowest yards-per-carry average as a pro.

Plenty of reasons can be cited for the drop in production. Newton missed a game with a concussion and played four games with a partially torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. Left offensive tackle Michael Oher missed 13 games and center Ryan Kalil missed eight as Newton was sacked 36 times in 2016.

Newton's best season ended with the Panthers losing 24-10 to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. The quarterback is focused on getting Carolina back to the Super Bowl and coming out of the NFL championship game with a different result.

"Man, I want a ring," Newton told Bill Voth of the Panthers' official web site. "I've gotten a ring everywhere I've been. Now I'm waiting here. I feel like I'm in my prime. My prime better be now. I don't want to have seen my best days. That's scary.

"When you look at quarterbacks and where I'm at right now, I want to commit everything to the game of football. I want my diet to display that. I want my life to display that. I don't want to look back when I'm 40 and be like, 'Dang, when I was 28 and we had this talent around us, I didn't maximize it.'"

The Panthers have seen Newton accumulate six years of wear and tear - not just what a normal NFL quarterback endures, but the additional beating that comes with 689 rushing attempts. That's why the Carolina coaching staff plans to ask Newton to do less in the 2017 season in hopes of getting the best out of him for years to come.

That'll be new for Newton.

"There has never been a time when I've been on a team - I don't care if I'm playing softball - where I haven't been looked upon to be that guy," Newton said. "... It's no different than LeBron, Kobe, Jordan or even Brady. My biggest gift, in a certain respect, is a curse, too."

In the end, though, Newton's competitiveness stems from the desire to win. He said he knows Carolina can win if he shares the load.

"The thing I have to realize is my job is not necessarily to always be the playmaker," Newton said. "I have to give other people opportunities to make plays. That's the hardest thing about maturation, especially for me."

In preparation for Newton's seventh NFL season, the Panthers retooled their offense, using their first two draft picks on versatile running backs Christian McCaffrey of Stanford and Curtis Samuel of Ohio State. Carolina also signed left tackle Matt Kalil and wide receivers Russell Shepard and Charles Johnson in free agency.

Newton's shoulder injury led to surgery on March 30, and he didn't resume throwing the football until June 26. The Panthers project he'll be ready to play when training camp opens on July 25.

Despite the offseason setback presented by surgery, history suggests the 2017 season will be a good one for Newton. In every odd year of his NFL career - 2011, 2013 and 2015 - he's received a Pro Bowl invitation. In the even seasons - 2012, 2014 and 2016 - he hasn't.

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