Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera spent most of his 18-minute news conference Monday answering variations of the same question, regarding the health of quarterback Cam Newton.
Rivera said nothing definitive about Newton’s status, but did offer this: He plans to play Newton this week against the Cleveland Browns only if he’s certain Newton can protect himself.
Newton sat out Sunday’s win against Tampa Bay after sustaining two fractures in his lower back during a two-car accident last week in Charlotte. Newton stood on the sideline during the game, cheering on No. 2 quarterback Derek Anderson and suggesting a play that offensive coordinator Mike Shula used successfully on the Panthers’ final offensive series.
Rivera said there’s a rehab progression that doctors and trainers have laid out for Newton, and his status will be determined based on whether he meets those goals.
But Rivera said ultimately it will come down the coach’s confidence that he won’t be exposing Newton to further injury by playing him against the Browns.
“I don’t want to put a guy out there that can’t protect himself,” Rivera said. “By that, it’s being able to run out of the way, scramble out of the way, stay alive, keep the play alive by being able to get away. That’s all part of it. That’s all part of the decision that went into the first Tampa Bay game.”
Newton was sidelined for the Week 1 win at Tampa Bay with cracked ribs, despite lobbying Rivera to let him play.
The two games against the Buccaneers are the only ones Newton has missed in his four-year career. He was at Bank of America Stadium on Monday for meetings and film review.
“I know he’s feeling a lot better than he was Friday and Saturday,” Shula said. “He’s moving around, just kind of walking around the building a lot better. So that’s good.”
The Panthers (5-8-1) have won two in a row after a seven-game winless streak, putting them back in the playoff hunt. But Rivera said the evaluation process with Newton this week would have been the same even if the Panthers were already eliminated from postseason contention.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo sustained the same injury as Newton — two transverse process fractures — earlier this season. He missed one game.
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen said it was too early to speculate on Newton’s status against the Browns (7-7), who were drubbed 30-0 by Cincinnati on Sunday in the first start for Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.
“We’ll see how he does during the week. I don’t know,” Olsen said. “A lot of that will be how he’s feeling, and understandably so.”
Anderson completed 25 of 40 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown in the 19-17 victory over the Buccaneers.
In two games against the Bucs this season, Anderson was 49-of-74 passing for 507 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. And 2-0.
“We’re very fortunate. We’ve got two solid quarterbacks,” Rivera said. “We’ve got a young one that gives you all kinds of ability and potential, and another one that’s very steady. It’s a great situation to be in.”
Shula said work on the offensive game plan began Monday, and he’d have a different version for each quarterback. Shula had to tear up about 30 percent of the game plan last week after Newton’s accident, most of it the plays “where D.A. would run the ball,” Shula joked.
At the end of Anderson’s longest run against the Bucs — an 8-yard scramble on second-and-7 in the first quarter — Anderson got up and mimicked Newton’s first-down gesture.
“That was for my guy,” Anderson said.
By Wednesday or Thursday, the Panthers should have a good idea which guy will be starting against the Browns.
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