National Football League

Cam Newton, blasted by Falcons LB he taunted, has a concussion

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:04 p.m. ET

Dan Graf

Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers have been taking a beating all season, and things went from bad to worse Sunday.

With Carolina in the process of dropping to 1-3 in a lopsided game against the Atlanta Falcons, Newton was trying to score on a fourth-quarter two-point conversion when he was hammered by Falcons linebacker Deion Jones just as he reached the goal line.

Newton scored on the conversion, then headed to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion.

In the first quarter of the same game, Newton received a taunting penalty after he picked up a first down, then pushed Jones, threw the ball at him and signaled for a first down in his face – maybe not the best idea given that Jones would be chasing him around for the rest of the day.

Now, for the second time in a season that’s only four weeks old, the Panthers are left to hope the 2015 NFL MVP doesn’t have a serious head injury. The team confirmed Newton had a concussion after the game. Newton, of course, was repeatedly hit in the head by the Denver Broncos in Week 1.