Cam Newton Reunites With Ron Rivera Prior To New England-Washington Preseason Game
BOSTON (CBS) -- For the entirety of his Carolina career, Cam Newton knew just one head coach: Ron Rivera.
On Thursday night, though they were wearing opposing colors, the quarterback was reunited with his former head coach, prior to the preseason contest between the Patriots and Washington Football Team at Gillette Stadium.
Newton -- who generally runs a warmup lap around the perimeter of the field in Foxboro before games -- made a detour for Rivera.
Cam Newton makes a beeline for his former HC Ron Rivera. #Patriots @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/NLtkP5VL7Y
— Morey Hershgordon (@MHershgordon) August 12, 2021
Cam Newton catches up with his longtime coach Ron Rivera. Together they reached the playoffs four times with the @Panthers. @Patriots @WashingtonNFL pic.twitter.com/q7V4xqMgu3
— Bob Socci (@BobSocci) August 12, 2021
Like Newton, Rivera embarked on a career outside of Carolina last year for the first time in a decade, after he was fired by Carolina in December of the 2019 season. Newton played just two games for the Panthers that year, due to a foot injury that ended up requiring surgery.
Rivera was hired by the Panthers prior to the franchise selecting Newton with the No.1 overall pick in the 2011 draft. They won the NFC South together in 2013, just three years after the team's 2-14 record resulted in getting that No. 1 overall pick. They nearly went undefeated in 2015, with a 15-1 record before losing in the Super Bowl to Denver.
Concerns about Newton's physical health kept Rivera and Washington -- and most of the NFL -- from signing Newton last offseason. But the relationship between the two former Panthers clearly remains strong.