Cam Newton still may start the regular-season opener on September 11. But Jimmy Clausen will start the first preseason game for the Carolina Panthers when they host the Giants on Saturday night.
Steve Reed of CarolinaGrowl.com reports that Clausen said he has been informed by coach Ron Rivera that the second-year signal-caller from Notre Dame will be the first quarterback on the field.
Clausen has been getting the reps with the first-team offense. But Rivera has said that he’ll give both players a chance to run the starting offense at some point before picking a Week One starter.
“[Rivera] told both me and Cam that he’s going to play the best guy out there,” Clausen said. “Myself and Cam have had ups and downs throughout camp and we’re still learning. We’re still young and I think tomorrow is another big test. I can’t wait to get out there.”
Though Panthers fans surely are anxious to see what Newton can do, our guess is that they’ll welcome Clausen before they ever warm up to the third option, Derek Anderson.
