Panthers' Rivera iced kicker to help Bears assess position battle

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera iced opposing kicker Elliott Fry during Thursday's preseason opener to help the Chicago Bears evaluate their ongoing position battle.

"You know what is funny, I did that to help the Bears because they are in a kicking contest," Rivera said postgame, according to ESPN's Jeff Dickerson.

The 57-year-old spent his entire nine-year playing career with the Bears and later served as their defensive coordinator from 2004-06.

Fry made a 43-yard field goal after the unexpected timeout. It was the same distance from which Cody Parkey missed in last season's playoffs, leading to his release.

The Bears have spent the offseason working out kickers and simulating high-pressure situations in practice.

"No, it wasn't planned, but I'm kind of glad he did it," Bears head coach Matt Nagy said.

Fry didn't attempt another field goal the rest of the game. Eddy Pineiro went 1-for-2, making from 23 yards away and missing from 48 yards out.

Carolina won the game 23-13 at Chicago's Soldier Field.