Cam Newton’s heart might be in the right place, but his head is a different issue altogether.
The NFL’s prevention and treatment of concussions has been a focal point for fans, owners and players alike in recent years, but Cam Newton isn’t having it. Despite taking numerous hits to his head in a Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos, the Carolina Panthers quarterback was adamant during a news conference on Wednesday that staying in the game was OK, and that he’s only worried about a Week 2 match up against the San Francisco 49ers.
The NFL is taking a more cautious route, though, and conducting an investigation into whether the Panthers followed proper protocol.
“Worry about what?” Newton asked reporters, per ProFootballTalk. “I worry about winning. That’s it. Winning. Winning football games. That’s why I’m here. I’m not here to worry about retirement plans. I’m not here to worry about pensions. I’m not here to worry about worker’s comp. I’m here to win football games, simple and plain. And this is a contact sport, this is a physical sport, and I play the games for the right reasons, for whatever coach asks me to do, I’m going to do it. I’m here to win football games.”
Despite the beating he took last Thursday, the reigning NFL MVP said he never felt any concussion symptoms.
“I took a couple couple hits to the head but I don’t think I showed any signs of being concussed,” Newton added. “There was no wooziness. I’ve seen hits in the past where guys stumbled, and I’ve seen hits where it affects their play afterward … That comes with football, it being a contact sport.
“My focus is the San Francisco 49ers’ defense, the team that shut out the Los Angeles Rams. I gain nothing from talking about the past.”
Newton will put his body on the line again Sunday. But even if he’s not paying attention to the hits he takes, you can be sure that the NFL — and everyone at home — will be.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
