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Cam Newton Thanks Ron Rivera in IG Story and Says Firing 'Hurt Deep'

By Steven Kubitza

Ron Rivera is out of a job after a long tenure with the Carolina Panthers, and Cam Newton is hurting
Ron Rivera is out of a job after a long tenure with the Carolina Panthers, and Cam Newton is hurting /

Ron Rivera did something rare in the NFL. He lasted nearly nine full seasons as head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

Such a long tenure is rare in a league obsessed with immediate results. A 2015 Super Bowl berth likely bought Rivera a few more seasons in Charlotte given the way the rest of his tenure went.

Rivera shared a deep bond with franchise QB Cam Newton, as both joined the Panthers organization in 2011. Newton subsequently showed his now-former coach some love on Instagram once Tuesday's big news dropped.

The two men had a few clashes over the past nine years, but it is clear that Cam has plenty of respect for the coach who backed him for so long. There are plenty of hard-headed bosses out there who may have tried to move on from a big personality like Newton, but Riverboat Ron never wavered.

This was really the only proper response for Newton. It notably beats the odd, seemingly incomplete post from the team's official Twitter account.