New Panthers coach Ron Rivera and long-time general manager Marty Hurney talked last week about needing to find a franchise quarterback and they firmly believe Cam Newton can be that guy even though questions abound about his ability to make the transition from a simplistic offense at Auburn to a more complicated scheme with the Panthers.
“We’ve had a strong feeling for some time that he was the person who could come in and have the most impact on this football team," Hurney said.
And it sounds like he has a chance to play relatively soon as a rookie, something that goes against what Rivera said earlier this week about the importance of bringing a young quarterback along slowly.
"He'll have an opportunity to play, most definitely. Everybody has an opportunity to play," Rivera said. "Cam will play when Cam gets himself ready to play. I'm putting a little bit of a challenge out there for him. That's what he thrives on."
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