"Coach Ron Rivera said he hasn't decided how much rookie quarterback Cam Newton will play Thursday night when the Panthers play their final exhibition against Pittsburgh at Bank of America Stadium.

Newton is scheduled to start his third consecutive game, and is the likely No. 1 quarterback when the regular season begins. Typically starters don't play extended minutes in the preseason finale, but given Newton's limited practice time because of the lockout, it could give him a few extra plays.

"We're going to discuss that after (Tuesday's) practice," Rivera said. "We got the extra day of practice this week, so I'd really like to see how we come through ... practice. We'll have some first bunch against each other and see what kind of tempo we get out of that. That will help gauge how much we play them.

"You always worry about the last one. We'll see."

Rivera said he expects second-year quarterback Jimmy Clausen to play Thursday night after recovering from a thigh injury suffered at Miami two weeks ago."