Ron Rivera: Panthers want to ‘unleash’ Cam Newton
By Sam Richmond
While running has long been a key part of his game, Cam Newton has done little damage on the ground for the Carolina Panthers this season. He has amassed just 33 yards on eight carries in three games.
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But Newton’s lack of running isn’t because Carolina doesn’t want to let Newton use his feet, but rather because the team wants to be careful with his health.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera to NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus:
"On Monday, Panthers coach Ron Rivera admitted there is temptation to let Newton embrace his natural style of play.“But we have to do things the right way,” Rivera said on Monday, according to ESPN.com. “You don’t want to unleash him unless he’s ready to be unleashed. We’ve got to listen to what the trainers and doctors are saying, and we’ve got to listen to what he’s telling us.”“It’s very hard,” Rivera added. “You can see it. You just know he wants to cut loose and do certain things. You can feel it, and a lot of times you see him start to do it, but it’s coming. We’ve got to do this the right way.”"
Newton missed Carolina’s first game of the season due to a rib fracture and it’s clear he’s not 100 percent healthy. But whenever he is, expect the Panthers to do exactly what Rivera said Carolina wants to do and “unleash him.”
Newton has rushed for 2,065 yards in 51 games.
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