The Panthers lost with Derek Anderson starting at quarterback on Monday night, which made the status of Cam Newton one of the biggest issues on the agenda during coach Ron Rivera’s press conference on Tuesday.
Newton remains in the concussion protocol after being injured in Week Four, but stepped up his activity level on Monday in the hours before the start of the game with the Bucs. Rivera said it was a positive step for Newton, although he didn’t have an update about how Newton was feeling the next day.
“He had a good day on Monday,” Rivera said, via the Charlotte Observer. “He came out and worked out with our training staff. They took him out and he ran. He threw the ball. ... He lifted. I don’t know how he is today. I haven’t had a chance to see him. But I know he did a lot. They put a lot on his table. So we’ll see how he is.”
Newton’s activities didn’t end there. Lisa Salters of ESPN shared a picture of Newton riding a Segway-like motorized vehicle through Charlotte without wearing a helmet, which led to another question for Rivera.
“I’m not going to worry about that. I don’t know,” Rivera said. “The bottom line is he’s an adult. And we’ll go from there.”
The Panthers hope Newton’s wearing a helmet in New Orleans next Sunday, although it will still be a little while before we know if that’s how things will play out.