NFL Says Broncos Should Have Been Penalized for Hit on Cam Newton

Brandon Marshall "launched" at Cam Newton in the third quarter.

Ron Chenoy
USA Today Sports

Image via USA Today Sports

Ron Chenoy

Cam Newton got absolutely roughed up late in Thursday's NFL season opener between Newton's Panthers and the Denver Broncos. Even fans who were well acquainted with the violence of football had a hard time watching. Seemingly every play down the stretch, last year's MVP took a brutal hit to the head.

His teammates were disgusted, too, and his dad called out the NFL.

The NFL insists it has taken measures to prevent concussions, but this led many to question: what exactly are those measures worth if Newton was allowed to stay in the game?

I love American football but last night the way Cam Newton kept getting hit in the head made me uncomfortable.

For his part, Newton said he didn't think his head was being targeted intentionally, but he certainly felt the sting of the hits.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton says he didn't feel he was being targeted with helmet-to-helmet hits. pic.twitter.com/7HmejF8P4U

Well, the NFL has admitted fault—sort of. Though the league still insists concussion protocol was properly followed, it has reviewed footage of the game and determined at least one hit that went unpenalized warranted a flag, according to ESPN. The hit: Brandon Marshall's third quarter shot on Newton.

ESPN reports: "​Marshall's hit was a violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 6(i) of the NFL rulebook, which prohibits a defender from using his helmet to butt, spear or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily. The NFL also prohibits defenders from 'launching' at a player in a defenseless position, as a quarterback in the pocket is considered to be."

Newton took multiple helmet-to-helmet blows, but only one drew a penalty, and that flag was offset by an Intentional Grounding call because Newton's pass didn't make it back to the line of scrimmage. Newton said he was not reviewed for a concussion until after the game.

The NFL Players Association said it is currently reviewing whether the proper concussion protocol was followed.

Though it might seem like good news that the league has admitted some fault, what is this really good for? It doesn't retroactively change the outcome of the game, and penalty flags pale in comparison to the importance of protecting a player's brain. We can only hope no one else gets roughed up like this on Sunday.

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