Carolina Panthers: Ron Rivera Deserves Praise for Benching Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is getting flack for benching Cam Newton in Week 13, but he should be applauded for doing the right thing.

Things couldn’t have started any worse for the Carolina Panthers in their 40-7 Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Panthers proceeded to trot out backup quarterback Derek Anderson—not Cam Newton—for the first play of the game. His one (and only) pass was a ball that hit off fullback Mike Tolbert’s hands and landed right in the awaiting arms of Seahawks linebacker Mike Morgan for an interception.

Seattle fans went nuts, but Panthers fans had the same thought that crossed their minds—where in the world is Cam Newton?

Newton finally made an appearance on the Panthers’ second possession and wouldn’t miss a snap for the rest of the game. He clearly wasn’t hurt, so why didn’t he start the game? The answer would trickle out shortly before the first half ended and was later clarified by head coach Ron Rivera and Newton himself after the game.

As it turns out, Newton was benched for the first snap because he did not wear a tie on the Panthers’ flight, which is a violation of the team’s dress code. Here’s Newton’s side of the story (via FOX Sports):

When you’re 6-5, trying to get a shirt — I was away from home for a week — I didn’t pack a shirt. There was a lot of ties that were given, but I can’t wear a tie with this [outfit I had on]. Meaning I have a tank top on under this — we discussed it internally. … I thought we were on the same page; I felt as if I wore a similar outfit like this before, and nothing was done. But [Rivera] has rules in place and we have to abide by them. No person is greater than the next person — it is what it is.

This obviously created a bit of a stir around social media. Fans were split; some felt Newton should have been disciplined just like any other player would be, while others felt that it was a stupid rule and Newton never should have missed the first snap of the game. As expected, Rivera was very defensive about his decision on Monday morning (via USA Today):

I’m very comfortable with it because the truth of the matter is, I have to treat everybody the same. I really do. And that’s all that was. There’s no underlying message. There’s no feud [with Newton]. Because I’ve done this before. It’s just unfortunate that the guys that I’ve done it before weren’t the quarterback. I think that’s why it’s such a big deal. I think that’s quite honestly why it’s being made bigger than it really is. Because all I did was treat a player like I treat any other player.

Rivera also added that, simply, Newton wasn’t above the rest of the team and said multiple times that each player gets “treated the same.” He then said that he and the team were moving on as it’s been addressed enough.

While this one decision surely didn’t help the Panthers win the game, it did send a message to the rest of the players in the locker room. No one is above the law and, regardless of if you make $20 million a year or are on the practice squad, everyone should be treated the same. For a team that’s a highly disappointing 4-8, that’s a message that needs to be sent. Subsequently, the proper fan-reaction is one lauding Rivera for his decision.

Newton has made some questionable decisions in his career (i.e. storming out of his Super Bowl press conference) and this one only adds to the narrative. He has all the talent in the world and he rightfully earned the MVP last season. But sometimes, a player like Newton needs a wake-up call. Maybe this will be Cam’s. The Panthers’ season is going down the drain, but that doesn’t mean Newton has to as well.