Until last season, Cam Newton had spent his entire NFL career playing under Panthers coach Ron Rivera. But as both would find, nothing, particularly in the ever-changing landscape of professional sports, lasts forever.
Rivera was relieved of his head-coaching duties late in 2019 while Newton, the most decorated quarterback in Panthers history, was handed his walking papers just months later. Each would eventually land on their feet, Rivera with Washington and Newton in New England, where the former MVP was given the unenviable task of succeeding Patriots legend Tom Brady.
Newton and his former coach exchanged pleasantries before Thursday night’s preseason opener at Gillette Stadium, greeting each other in a warm sideline embrace. Cam and Ron probably could have spent all night reminiscing about their shared experiences in Carolina (including their trip to Super Bowl 50), but both had a job to do. For Rivera, his Washington squad is looking to build off last year’s success (2020 marked their first division title since 2015) while Cam, coming off a frustrating debut season in Foxboro, is hoping to stay a step ahead of hot-shot rookie Mac Jones, who many see as the Patriots’ next franchise quarterback.
Cam ultimately completed 4-of-7 passes for 49 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in Thursday’s exhibition win over Washington, leading one scoring drive in his two series under center before ceding signal-calling duties to Jones for the remainder of the first half.
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