Two days after being drafted No. 1 overall, Cam Newton stood beside new Carolina Panthers teammate Jimmy Clausen at a charity kickball game, both players donning shirts emblazoned with No. 2.
"It's mine right now," Clausen told *The Charlotte Observer* in a story for Sunday's editions. "We'll see what happens."
Clausen has welcomed Newton to the fold, but he's not about to hand over the No. 2 jersey -- or the No. 1 quarterback role.
"I talked to some coaches and (general manager) Marty (Hurney), and they said they want me on this team and they're going to give me the opportunity to compete," Clausen said at the team's facility during Friday's brief respite from the NFL lockout. "That's all I can ask for is a chance to compete. It's going to be fun working with Cam and just competing each and every day."
At Saturday's kickball game, organized by teammate Jordan Gross, Newton was asked during a fan Q&A period, "How many Super Bowls do you expect to win with the Panthers?"
"Let's just say a lot," Newton replied, before leaving early to catch a flight out of town.
Newton's presence marks yet another hurdle for Clausen, who's coming off surgery on his right foot to remove a neuroma, and the death of his agent, Gary Wichard, in March from pancreatic cancer.
"Marty and the organization need to do what they had to do," Clausen said. "If they feel (Newton) is the best fit for the organization and the team to help the team, I'm looking forward to competing with him. He's a teammate of ours now, so you've got to embrace him and bring him in like anyone else."
