The Carolina Panthers will kick off the preseason on Wednesday without Cam Newton.
Coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday that Newton will not play in the preseason opener versus the Houston Texans, which will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
The news comes as no surprise with Newton sitting out team sessions since the opening week of training camp after undergoing shoulder surgery this offseason.
After doing some light tossing with the trainer on Monday, Newton again threw on the side on Tuesday, but ramped up the velocity slightly.
We expected Newton to sit out at least the first week of preseason after missing team sessions the past week. The former NFL MVP still has a month to get ready for the regular season. No one in Charlotte is panicking yet, but the longer Cam sits out, the more questions we'll have about his rhythm heading into the season in a revamped offense.
