Cam Newton made headlines without saying a word this week when he skipped out on a scheduled media session. Now that the Carolina Panthers are on their way to Chicago for a date with the Bears and Newton still hasn’t met with the media, he’s in clear violation of the NFL rules.
“The NFL requires all players to be available to reporters at least once during each week of the regular season, and after every regular-season game,” wrote Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk Saturday morning.
Wednesday’s scheduled press conference didn’t go off as planned, and Newton did not make it up.
Some speculated that it might have been due to the fact that Jourdan Rodrigue returned to the team’s facility on that day and was interviewing players in the locker room. Remember, Rodrigue is the female reporter who was ridiculed by Newton a couple weeks back for asking questions about running routes. The same reporter who reportedly was subject to death threats in the wake of that incident.
Newton finished the week without speaking to the media once. Whether that had anything to do with Rodrigue’s return to the locker room is something we’re not sure about. If it is, then Newton’s apology a couple weeks back (which did not include any direct apology to her), rings rather hollow.
Because he violated league rules, it’s likely Newton will be subject to some form of discipline, probably involving his wallet. And now we’re left to wonder just how long this media boycott will last.