PANTHERS FAN FEST: Newton held out of passing drills at Fan Fest

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cam Newton wasn't able to throw Friday night, but that didn't stop the charismatic quarterback from hamming it up with fans.

[PHOTOS: Fan Fest 2017]

In what has become a tradition at the team's annual Fan Fest practice at Bank of America Stadium, Newton did his best to entertain the crowd. If he wasn't dancing in pre-game warmups to "Bad and Boujee," the seventh-year quarterback was playing the role of "crowd conductor," using his arms to direct the 58, 568 fans to stand, yell and do the wave.

At one point Newton got two waves started at once, heading in different directions around the stadium.

"He is a dynamic personality," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. "And we have a great fan base here that really supports this football team. I think it's kind of neat. He's engaged and that's a big part of it with our fan base."

Newton didn't participate in passing drills for the fourth straight day because of soreness in his surgically repaired right throwing shoulder and Rivera offered no guesses on when he expects the former league MVP to start throwing again.

But despite not throwing Rivera said Newton has been dialed in and has had a good week.

"There are some things we do that you guys don't get to see but he's really on top of it and I can't wait for them to clear him to start throwing again," Rivera said.

Newton had surgery in March to repair a partially torn rotator cuff but started throwing at the beginning of training camp. However, he developed some soreness late in practice Sunday. The team had a day off Monday, but Newton hasn't thrown since.

It remains unclear if he'll play Wednesday night in the team's preseason home opener against the Houston Texans.

Newton and other players were not available for interviews after practice as the security guards quickly cleared the field for a fireworks and laser show.

Derek Anderson continued to run the first team offense with Joe Webb also getting an increased number of reps.

Fan Fest has become a big hit in Charlotte and for the first time the team charged a $5 admission to get in.

The Panthers hold training camp practices in Spartanburg, S.C., but always return to Charlotte for one night. Despite a 6-10 season in 2016 the Panthers had a huge turnout Friday night.

It was a reunion of sorts for two veteran players and a first chance for Carolina's rookies to see where they'll be playing this season.

Julius Peppers and Captain Munnerlyn made their return to Carolina this offseason after playing for other teams and received a warm ovation from fans. Some fans even dusted off their old No. 90 Peppers jerseys and wore them.

Peppers, the team's all-time sack leader, received a particularly loud ovation when introduced. He did not practice as he was given the night off.

It was a new beginning for first-round draft pick Christian McCaffrey, who didn't waste any time showing off his speed and athleticism, turning a play up field on a pass in the flat. The crowd cheers as McCaffrey was shown on the videoboard.

The Panthers have Saturday off and return to practice Sunday at Wofford College.

The Panthers tweeted that 58,568 fans attended the event.

[Panthers offseason recap, expectations for 2017 season]

The team charged a $5 fee per ticket for the event at Bank of America Stadium, with the proceeds going to charity.

[LINK: List of Carolina Panthers charities]

This was the first year fans will have to pay to attend the event. The Panthers say they are charging $5 because of "an increased demand and precautions for fan safety."

[READ MORE: Scalpers cash in on 'free' Fan Fest tickets]

The 2017-2018 Panthers season officially starts Sept. 10.

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