Rivera takes reins of hapless Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have entrusted Ron Rivera with turning around the NFL’s worst team, making the San Diego defensive coordinator the second Latino head coach in NFL history.

He replaces John Fox, who was let go earlier this month after Carolina went 2-14 in his ninth season.

It’s the first head coaching job for the 49-year-old Rivera, who is of Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage. He joins ex-Raiders and Seahawks boss Tom Flores as the only Latino head coaches.

Rivera ran the Chargers’ defense since midway through the 2008 season, with San Diego ranking tops in the NFL in total defense and pass defense this season. The ex-Bears linebacker also was defensive coordinator in Chicago from 2004-06.

ESPN reported Rivera received a four-year, $11.2 million deal to become the fourth head coach in the franchise’s 16-year history.

Players speak out

Concerns about injuries and insurance make the league’s push to switch to an 18-game regular season a major sticking point in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

The NFL wants to add two games to the current 16-game format for the regular season, and eliminate two of four preseason games, saying fans would prefer that and more revenue could be generated.

“To me, right now, as things stand, 18 games, the way it’s being proposed, is completely unacceptable,” Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said on a media conference call arranged by the union.

Both Fujita and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, the other player participating in Tuesday’s call, went on IR in 2010.

“We put our bodies on the line, produce a lot of revenue and get five years of post-retirement health insurance,” Foxworth said. “Then they want to tack on two more games … which is just going to multiply the injuries.”

Around the league

Perry Fewell, the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator who served as Buffalo’s interim coach for seven games last season, interviewed with the Cleveland Browns, the third known candidate to formally meet with the team. … New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams became the third candidate to spurn the Denver Broncos. Williams withdrew his name from consideration just 24 hours after agreeing to interview for the job.