Cam Newton will see his first game action this preseason when the Carolina Panthers host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
Coach Ron Rivera said after Thursday's practice the plan is for Newton to play the first quarter, per The Charlotte Observer's Joe Person
With Newton coming off ankle surgery, which cost him most of the offseason work with his new receiving corps, the Panthers want to ease their star quarterback back into action -- that means no designed runs or scrambles.Â
"He can't help himself because he loves to compete and he wants to win," Rivera said. "That is one of the things that is of concern -- that he'll get out there and he may see something, he may go from a three to a seven (in effort level) and the next thing you know he's out there doing his thing. That's just who he is. He's very competitive."
The quarterback, however, is just taking it a day at a time.
"I'm doing as much as I can, or as much as (head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion) is allowing me to do with my ankle, so I can be 100 percent when the time is needed," he said.
On Sunday Newton will give us our first good look at just how close he is to that 100 percent.
*The latest "Around the League Podcast" broke down the biggest position battles and ranked the best backup QBs in the league. *
