It looks like the Carolina Panthers will not be punished for their handling of star quarterback Cam Newton's concussion protocol.
After a joint investigation into the team's handling of the situation, which occurred during the Panthers playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints when Newton took a fourth quarter hit from Saints defender David Onyemata, the NFL and NFL Players Association have cleared Carolina of any wrongdoing.
The NFL made an official statement on the matter, announcing that "Newton was properly evaluated for a concussion in the sideline medical tent and did not sustain a concussion."
It was also "established that there was no protocol violation," and the Panthers quarterback "sustained an abrasion over his right eye and foreign matter in his eye" following the hit from Onyemata (via NFL.com):
"The medical facts are clear and straight forward. Mr. Newton had an injury to his eye, which is very clear in the video and he complained of that at impact.
"He testified to that and so did the medical staff," Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Wednesday.
"He started jogging, displayed no gross motor issues, was instructed by the coaches on the sidelines to take [a knee], and he was told that through the communication in his helmet, as well.
"You can see people pointing to the ground, to go to the ground, so he could be evaluated and so his backup could warmup."
Newton apparently tried to take a knee after the incident but did it in an awkward style as he wasn't able to fully bend his knee:
"He had an MRI a day later and it showed substantial damage and a lot of swelling, that's the reason he can't fully bend it as he goes to the ground," Sills told Rapoport.
"Those are the medical facts -- he showed no gross motor problem, at no time did he complain of concussion symptoms, I would say the medical staff was being thorough by doing the evaluation.
"And also, the coaches stayed out of the decision, they simply handed him over to the medical staff."
Newton is not expected to need surgery to repair his injured knee and the NFL stated the Panthers' medical staff "acted with an abundance of caution."
What are your thoughts on the Panthers not being handed down any punishment for their handling of Newton's concussion protocol? Do you think that the Panthers made a mistake in how they handled Newton's situation? And how do you see the Panthers' season going next year in 2018? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below!
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