The Carolina Panthers benched quarterback Cam Newton during the team’s 33-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Sunday. Head coach Matt Rhule explained after the game that Newton will remain the starter and that the decision was made to preserve his health.
“At the end of the day we weren’t protecting the quarterback at all,” he explained. “It wouldn’t be fair to keep Cam in there and keep getting him hit.”
Despite only being sacked once, the 32-year-old quarterback was hit on several plays. He finished the game with 92 yards with two interceptions, resulting in a quarterback ranking of a measly 5.8.
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Newton said he was fine with the decision to seat him after the game.
“I was fine with that,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s still about being a professional. At that particular point I had more than enough opportunities to keep the game in the balance. There’s no need to put up a fight with that.”
“This is the NFL,” Newton said. “Nothing is promised. Just because Cam Newton is on your roster doesn’t mean you’re going to win. Just because it’s a feel-good story doesn’t mean you’re going to win.”
PJ Walker filled in as Newton’s replacement.
[Via]