The controversy over whether or not the NFL followed the concussion protocol with Cam Newton last week won’t go away, especially not after a call from the principal’s office.
Well, Mike Pereira isn’t exactly a principal to the guys who currently wear stripes on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. But he used to be. He’s the league’s former vice president of officiating and currently the FOX Sports rules analyst for Sunday telecasts, and he said that the officials should have taken it upon themselves to remove Newton from the game in the final minute, according to Pro Football Talk.
Broncos safety Darian Stewart was penalized for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Newton with 36 seconds to go and the Broncos leading 21-20. Pereira wonders if Gene Steratore and his crew let the game situation influence their decision not to send Newton to the sideline after that hit.
“Did they consider the fact that there was only 36 seconds to go and Carolina was behind and that factored into the decision? If that’s the case, then the league is speaking out of both sides of their mouth,” Pereira said.
If proper concussion protocol is followed, then for the sake of player safety fans will have to get used to a quarterback being pulled in the middle of a two-minute drill late in the game. It might take some of the air out of the drama, but it will have to become a new reality.
