The NFL explains why Cam Newton wasn't examined for a concussion after blow to helmet
Most people watching the Denver Broncos crush Cam Newton on Thursday night had a similar question: Why wasn't the Carolina Panthers QB removed from the game to see if he had suffered a concussion on any of the multiple blows to the head he suffered?
On Friday morning, the NFL issued a statement explaining just what happened.
"There was communication between medical personnel on the Carolina sideline, including the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant, and the two independent certified athletic trainer spotters in the booth. During stoppage in play while on-field officials were in the process of administrating penalties, the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant and team physician requested video from the spotters and reviewed the play. They concluded there were no indications of a concussion that would require further evaluation and the removal of the player from the game."
So ... that's certainly an explanation, at least technically. I'm not a doctor, of course. I don't play one on television. But to my eyes, Newton was visibly shaken up by the repeated hits to the head. Using video replay to determine whether a player has a concussion seems like a good first step, but it can't be the last step as well.
Yes, the Panthers were in a dire predicament late in their loss to the Broncos. Yes, they needed Newton to stage a potential comeback. So what? This is the conversation we have every year. We can't choose to put wins and losses over a player's health. And if you really want to be a cold-hearted cynic about this, performance and health are related anyway. Some of Carolina's second-half struggle was undoubtedly due to Newton's status. He was inaccurate, slow in his reads and just generally looked like a man who had suffered head trauma.
All we can do now is wait to see if the NFL and NFLPA launch an investigation into whether Newton's health was handled properly. We hope for his sake that the doctors got this one right.