Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Cam Newton will start Sunday at quarterback against the Washington Football Team.
Rhule said P.J. Walker, who started in Carolina’s 34-10 win against the Arizona Cardinals last week, could still see action as well since there are portions of the game plan that Newton is still learning.
“He has really done a nice job of learning the game plan for this week,” Rhule said of Newton, the league's MVP in 2015. “There is obviously a lot to learn and there are some parts that obviously he probably has a better grasp of than others. But he’s worked hard and he’s really a smart player, a smart quarterback.”
Newton scored touchdowns — one rushing and one passing — the first two times he touched the ball against the Cardinals. He played 12% of the team’s offensive plays after signing with the team just three days before the game.
As for Walker's role, Rhule said: “There are certain parts of the offense that Cam doesn't have a lot of exposure to yet, so we will have both guys up and ready to play and probably use both of them.”