Some things will never change. Death, taxes and bad takes on Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s game and style of play are seemingly going to be with us forever.
The latest installment of this sad tradition comes from former NFL running back Reggie Bush. Speaking with LaDainian Tomlinson in a segment on NFL Network on Thursday, Bush suggested that Newton’s physical style of play is the reason why he’s been injured, saying that “if you play like a linebacker, you’re going to have injuries like a linebacker.”
Watch and try not to roll your eyes so hard they fall out of your head.
While the Panthers do need to do a better job of protecting Newton going forward, it has little to nothing to do with the way he does his own job.
When Cam has been hurt these last few years, it’s almost always been the case that either his pass protection broke down or his teammates screwed up.
Remember, Newton originally hurt the shoulder trying to chase down a Chargers pick-six late in the 2016 season because Kelvin Benjamin couldn’t be bothered to make a legitimate play on the ball or even attempt a tackle on the defender who intercepted the pass.
Newton’s throwing shoulder declined over the course of the 2018 season, beginning with a beating he took at the hands of the Steelers’ front seven. He got hurt not because he was running too much or seeking contact, but because his offensive line completely failed him.
Newton does take some hard hits as a rusher, but the regular bumps and bruises associated with that have never forced him to miss a single game in his NFL career.
These takes may never go away, but as long as Carolina commits to keeping Newton clean and giving him weapons, he’ll be fine.
