Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton suffered a concussion in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and there appears to be at least some doubt about his status for Week 5.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said that he has no idea if Newton will be available to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Monday Night Football,” per Steve Reed of the Associated Press.
Ron Rivera said he has no idea about Cam Newton's status for next Monday night.
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) October 3, 2016
The reigning NFL MVP took a helmet-to-helmet hit on a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter of Carolina’s Week 4 defeat (video here) and immediately entered the concussion protocol. While the scheduling wrinkle will give Newton an extra day to recover, obtaining clearance to play is always murky when it comes to head injuries.
Veteran Derek Anderson threw for 173 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions upon replacing Newton in the game and will be called on again if the three-time Pro Bowler, who already dealt with a number of helmet-to-helmet hits earlier this season, isn’t ready to go against the 1-3 Buccaneers.
H/T Rotoworld
