Panthers QB situation is a bit complicated
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Cam Newton will not play in the Panthers' final preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday (7:30pm, ABC11).
Newton is recovering from a hairline fracture to one of his ribs, an injury suffered in the game last Friday in New England.
Rivera said Monday he is confident Newton will be ready for Week 1, but he's just as confident that Derek Anderson will be ready if called upon.
There is one additional possible glitch however; Anderson's wife is expecting a baby any day.
"There's nothing we can really do," Anderson told Panthers.com Monday. "We just have to wait, and whenever it happens, it happens."
Anderson's wife was due to give birth to the couple's first child last Saturday. As of Tuesday morning, the couple was still waiting.
Anderson is one of only two healthy quarterbacks the Panthers will take into the final preseason game. Matt Blanchard has been ruled out due to a concussion suffered late in the Patriots game, leaving Joe Webb as the only other option.
"We do have an emergency plan, a couple of guys that as we go into the season would be there in an emergency for us," head coach Ron Rivera said. "Hopefully, we never get to that point."
"We're putting our regular game plan together, because the biggest thing is that everything we do in our game plan, Derek has the ability to do," Rivera said.
The Panthers open the regular season Sunday, September 7 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
