Newton to make preseason debut vs. Patriots

The Carolina Panthers are finally ready to deploy Cam Newton.

The franchise quarterback will see game action for the first time this preseason in Thursday's contest against the New England Patriots, head coach Ron Rivera said, according to Max Henson of Panthers.com.

Newton has been brought along slowly since undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. He was placed on a pitch count early in camp and missed the first two weeks of preseason games as a precaution.

Rivera also announced that fellow stars Christian McCaffrey, Luke Kuechly, and Greg Olsen will make their preseason debuts against New England.