Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said his shoulder feels healthy again after January surgery, but he doesn’t know when he’ll be cleared to resume throwing.

“I’m feeling great now,” Newton told ESPN. “I feel like I do have full strength right now. But me telling the doctor, that is different than, you know, whatever the clearance process may be.”

The Panthers had a 6-2 record and Newton owned a 100.8 passer rating with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions halfway through the 2018 NFL season. But Carolina lost its next six games as Newton compiled a passer rating of 85.9 with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions before the Panthers shut down the former Auburn All-American with two games remaining on the schedule.

After the season, Newton had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder that cleaned up scar tissue from surgery in 2017 for a partial torn rotator cuff.

“Being honest, that’s one of the main things on both sides,” Newton said of how his offseason program will proceed from here. “Not only with the training staff to me, but me with training staff -- me letting them know how my body feels, coming up with a plan for practice to being on a pitch count, do I even need a pitch count and staying on top of the signs before things kind of roll off the hinges.”

The Panthers will hold their rookie minicamp Friday through Sunday, when Will Grier will do his first work with Carolina.

The Panthers picked the West Virginia quarterback in the third round of the NFL Draft on April 26. A native of the Charlotte suburb of Davidson, North Carolina, Grier became the first quarterback drafted by Carolina since it selected Newton with the first pick of the 2011 NFL Draft.

“You would think I’d feel intimidated," Newton said. "That’s not the case here. I reached out to Will. Actually seen Will play in high school, with him being in Charlotte, and I’m just excited for him to come on the team. He possesses a rare talent, and I’m excited.

"For me it's my job to put myself and this team in the best situation and to get everybody ready, and whether that's Will, whether that's (rookie wide receiver) Terry (Godwin), whether that's (rookie running back) Elijah (Holyfield), whether that's (starting running back) Christian McCaffrey, it doesn't matter. I want to make sure I'm my best teammate, my best self for everybody."

Newton and Grier started their collegiate careers at Florida. Newton won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn in 2010, when he paced the Tigers to an undefeated season and the BCS national championship. Grier threw for 7,454 yards and 71 touchdowns in two seasons with West Virginia.

“I think everybody that plays the game wants to be the best at their position,” Grier said. "And if you’re not playing, you’re not going to be the best at your position. I think every quarterback that ever gets an opportunity on a roster wants to be the starter. You want to play. Quarterback’s a funny position in that way.

"But Cam Newton is the starting quarterback of the Panthers. I have an awesome opportunity to just support him, do what I can to help this team win. And at some point, if I get an opportunity, I'll take advantage of it."

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.