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NFL fans hoping to see a reunion between head coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Cam Newton in Washington will have to wait.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Newton’s services aren’t required at the moment while the club assesses the long-term status of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was injured in Week 1 on Sunday.
Florio wrote:
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Washington Football Team isn’t there yet with Newton. If Fitzpatrick is out, Taylor Heinecke becomes the starter and Kyle Allen becomes the backup.
“If the injury bug continues to bite, things could change. One big factor, as previously mentioned, would be the status of the relationship between Newton and coaches who currently are with Washington and who previously were with Carolina, when Newton was there.”
Fitzpatrick injured his hip in the second quarter of WFT’s 20-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The extent of the injury isn’t clear yet. Heinicke stepped in to replace the veteran starter, finishing with 122 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-15 passing.
“When Taylor stepped in and brought some energy, that was a huge plus,” Rivera said. “There is something about Taylor; that’s a huge positive. It brings a little something.”
As long as that positive energy remains prevalent on the WFT sidelines, there isn’t much of a need to bring in Newton. If things change and Washington continues to struggle, a reunion would be much more likely.