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Following a lengthy investigation, the NFL has finally cleared the Carolina Panthers of any violations of the league’s concussion protocol during their handling of quarterback Cam Newton’s head injury in their playoff game against the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 7.
“Mr. Newton was properly evaluated for a concussion in the sideline medical tent and did not sustain a concussion,” the league said as part of a lengthy statement released Wednesday.
The league found during its investigation that Newton and the Panthers were, in fact, telling the truth about Newton suffering an eye injury after a hard hit in the fourth quarter. They also said Newton suffered a knee injury, which was why he went to ground while walking off the field.
The NFL said that Newton “did not display ‘gross motor instability,' which would have necessitated a locker room evaluation.” He was merely taken to the sideline medical tent for a concussion evaluation and was cleared after missing just one play, which sparked the criticism and speculation of possible protocol violations.
The Panthers previously confessed Newton embellished injury to help buy time for backup Derek Anderson to warm up.
While there will likely still be some people who will remain skeptical of the Panthers’ actions, the NFL has made its decision. Given how much importance they seem to be giving to the concussion protocol amid more and more scutiny, one would assume the league did its due diligence in their investigation.
After the NFL set a precedent of fining the Seattle Seahawks for their concussion protocol violation, the fact that no penalties were placed on Carolina means the league was sufficiently satisfied that everything was indeed by the book.
But with continued vigilance over concussion-related issues getting stronger, this case will likely not be the last one that investigates whether teams correctly followed the concussion protocol.
