Garrett Gilbert has never thrown a pass in a live NFL game, but head coach Ron Rivera has enough confidence in the man who's the favorite to be the backup to Cam Newton if the season started today.

Outside of Newton, and between the other three quarterbacks on the roster - Gilbert, Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen - only Heinicke has seen action in a regular season game at the professional level. And even that action is limited. Heinicke attempted one pass late last season for the Houston Texans in a handful of snaps before suffering a concussion and being knocked from the game. The Panthers signed him earlier this offseason and also brought in Hill, an undrafted free agent from the University of Houston, but it's Gilbert who's the most familiar with Carolina's coaching staff and the personnel.

Gilbert signed with the Panthers last offseason, was with the team through training camp and ended up on the practice squad to begin the season. A few weeks into the year, the Panthers opted to bring Gilbert to the 53-man roster to protect him (practice squad players can be signed by opposing teams to their 53-man roster at any point). With veteran Derek Anderson, the team's backup since 2011, moving on, Rivera was asked during OTAs earlier this week if he believes Gilbert can step in and run the offense if disaster were to strike with Newton.

“I think Garrett could. I think Taylor could as well. I like both those guys," Rivera said. "They have the ability and command of what we’re doing right now. And again, it’s not just about one guy stepping up as much as it’s about the other guys stepping up around them and performing. I do think both guys can step in and play the position for us if needed. That’s why they’re here."

Despite never being inserted into an NFL game, Gilbert has bounced around from locker room to locker room over his career. Since getting drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Rams, Gilbert has been a part of five teams total, including the Patriots, Lions and Raiders.

So what makes the quarterback such an attractive option?

“His arm strength. He makes good decisions and delivers a good ball," Rivera said of the former five-star quarterback out of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas. "That’s probably the biggest thing going for him, he throws a good ball."

Heinicke, a former record-breaking quarterback at Old Dominion, relies more on accuracy and mobility over a cannon arm. Earlier in his career, he was with the Vikings during Norv Turner's time there as an offensive coordinator.

"Taylor has a good feel. He’s been with Norv before," Rivera said. "He’s got a good understanding of this. He’s got great anticipation. If you watch his throws, he’s anticipating a bit better than all the quarterbacks because he’s been in this before.”