What It Means:

"You really won't know 'til the opener," Rivera said after Tuesday's practice. "Just the way it is. Nobody knew what he would be like his rookie year. That's kind of how this is going to be. We won't know until we open up in San Francisco." This is probably coach speak more than anything, but it's notable after Newton attempted only two passes in the preseason. He's a mid-range QB1 with proven elite upside.

numberFire's metrics expect Newton to produce 20.2 fantasy points in Week 1 versus the 49ers, making him our QB3 for the season's opening slate. For the season overall, he's the 6th-ranked quarterback in our models.