Ron Rivera changed his mind.
For the better.
A day after the Panthers coach said all four of his quarterbacks would play in the preseason opener, he announced that the most important one would not.
According to Joe Person of TheAthletic.com, Rivera said that both quarterback Cam Newton and linebacker Luke Kuechly would be held out of Thursday’s game at Chicago.
Newton’s progressing well in his comeback from shoulder surgery, with no apparent setbacks. But they’ve monitored his workload in camp. Kyle Allen will start in his place, ahead of rookie Will Grier.
Kuechly was held out of some practice time last week after he was caught in a pile, but he told reporters today that he was never in the concussion protocol and the team was just being careful.
Continuing to be is the smart play this early in the preseason, for players who are central to their team’s success.