Ex-head of officiating: Refs should have removed Newton post-headshot

Former NFL head of officiating Mike Pereira believes the referees failed to protect Cam Newton and didn't follow the proper concussion protocol in the Carolina Panthers' season-opening loss to the Denver Broncos last Thursday.

Newton took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Broncos safety Darian Stewart late in the game which Pereira said warranted taking the quarterback off the field.

"Certainly, I thought, 'Oh my God, the league is going to be upset that this is what happens in game No. 1,'" Pereira said, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "What disappointed me the most was how they basically went against protocol with 36 seconds to go. The shot Cam took from Stewart on the offsetting fouls, protocol has Cam out of the game, and it starts with the referees."

Pereira said the officials should have forced Newton to the sidelines to be evaluated by medical personnel, but pointed to the 36 seconds left in the game as a possible reason they opted not to.

"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.

The NFL released a statement after the game saying Newton exhibited no signs that indicated he required further evaluation, but said it will - along with the NFL Players Association - investigate whether any wrongdoing occurred.

"Internally, there were some really unhappy people in the league at how this turned out, no matter what they say," Pereira said.