The Carolina Panthers believe Cam Newton could be ready for training camp after last month's arthroscopic shoulder surgery and certainly expect the star quarterback to be ready to start the 2019 NFL regular season, a league source told ESPN.

Neither Newton nor the Panthers have publicly offered a timeline for when he could return following surgery on his right shoulder, but one source familiar with the surgery told ESPN that "it's all positive."

Newton told 680 The Fan in Atlanta this past week that his throwing arm was "better than I thought it would be."

"It's good, it's good," Newton added during his interview with 680 The Fan. "With so much going on throughout this season, I was in fear to see what was actually wrong."

Newton missed the final two games after battling shoulder pain and discomfort throughout this past season. But after undergoing his second shoulder surgery in the past three offseasons, the former league MVP is on track to be ready to go at some point this summer.

Soreness in the shoulder prevented Newton from attempting deep passes midway through the season and ultimately made other throws difficult as well. The soreness first became an issue following an Oct. 21 win at Philadelphia in which he had to throw 22 times in the fourth quarter.

The soreness got worse as the season progressed, contributing to Carolina's seven-game losing streak after a 6-2 start.

ESPN's David Newton contributed to this report.