“Even in just the three years that I’ve been here, he’s a better coach every year,” Panthers special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven said. “He’s like a better coach every week. He’s not satisfied with the status quo.”

Rivera seems to be respected on several levels by his players. They like the fact that he played in the league (nine seasons at linebacker for Chicago), and won a Super Bowl (30 years ago with coach Mike Ditka’s Bears).

“It’s special because he’s been there, done that,” safety Tre Boston said. “He’s played in the league and knows what it takes as a player and a coach to get to this level. ... He knows what’s it’s like to have two-a-days, to be hurt and have to play.”

So Rivera knows how to deal with players over the course of the long, grinding NFL season.

On another level, lots of coaches talk about having an open-door policy for players. But Rivera goes beyond that. He takes the time to get out from behind his desk and spend time with the players in the locker room.

Although he’s anything but a floor mat for the players, he doesn’t try to suppress their personality in the control-freak fashion that typifies some NFL coaches.