Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton took a huge hit late in his team’s eventual playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday evening.
Here, we can see Newton fall to the ground following the hit by Saints defensive lineman David Onyemata.
Here is #Panthers QB Cam Newton falling down on the way to the sideline, couldn't make it all the way on his own https://t.co/VTo8DBerJc
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 8, 2018
It’s pretty obvious something was amiss with Newton, who would ultimately spend about 90 seconds in the medical tent on the sideline being “tested” for a concussion prior to returning to the game.
In what has to be the most ridiculous excuse for a team’s handling a potential concussion, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera noted after the game that Newton fell to the ground simply to give backup quarterback Derek Anderson time to warm up.
Ron Rivera said Cam Newton fell to the ground intentionally late in the game to give Derek Anderson time to warm up.
— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) January 8, 2018
That’s fake news, Ron. In no way are we gullible enough to take this excuse and run with it. Your team simply didn’t follow the NFL-mandated concussion protocol. Maybe because the game was tight and you wanted to advance to the divisional round. Either way, don’t attempt to insult our intelligence in this manner.
You should be better than that.