Cam Newton, after months of recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, is bolding moving forward on his comeback trail. Rookie third-round pick Will Grier is the shiny new toy. Kyle Allen, by virtue of a spectacular first NFL start in last season's finale, has piqued the interest of many. And in the Carolina Panthers' quarterbacks room, that has left one player largely out of the collective consciousness: Taylor Heinicke.

A quarterback with extensive experience in offensive coordinator Norv Turner's system and the top backup to Cam Newton last season, Heinicke's name has become lost in the shuffle of the Panthers' backup quarterback competition throughout the Spring as he recovered from a triceps injury suffered in his first NFL start last December. With Heinicke's first extensive action going down as a grueling affair where he labored through pain, more than a fair share of outside observers have overlooked him with Allen's poise and Grier's hometown charm considered.

But when the subject of Heinicke came up, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera had a major overarching message to send about him: Heinicke, he said, "belongs."

"He's had a terrific OTAs and camp," said Rivera. 'Unfortunately, if people aren't careful, we're gonna overlook him. And we can't afford to do that."

Behind Cam Newton, the Panthers have three very promising young arms at the quarterback position - including one who has the clout of having had a premium draft pick spent on him. Rivera stressed that the Panthers will keep the player who give them the best chance to win, but he noted that Heinicke has re-gained his strength alongside his mobility after offseason surgery.

"You watch his movement and his skillset, you're really pleased," said Rivera of Heinicke. "He really has had some really good days."

According to Bryan Strickland of the Panthers, Heinicke had a solid day for himself during Wednesday's practice, hitting running back Reggie Bonnafon and tight end Marcus Baugh for touchdowns. Now entering his fifth NFL season, Heinicke has a certain amount going in his favor that his counterparts in Allen and Grier don't: He is very well-versed in Turner's offense, and is used to having to fight his way onto rosters from when he made the Minnesota Vikings' roster as an undrafted free agent.

"There hasn’t been any year where it was a given, where it was easy," Heinicke told Strickland in May.

While it's difficult to tell exactly where Heinicke's ceiling is, the argument can be made that his first NFL start is not completely indicative of what his abilities are. Before Heinicke was injured, he completed five of eight passes on a 73-yard drive that ended in his first NFL touchdown, a one-yard throw to tight end Ian Thomas.