Rivera wants officials to protect Newton

Carolina Panthers Coach Ron Rivera wants Cam Newton to receive the same protection on helmet-to-helmet hits as other quarterbacks get in the NFL.

Rivera said because of the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Newton’s size and the Panthers’ style of play, Newton often doesn’t draw the flags on hard hits that smaller QBs do.

Newton was on the receiving end of four helmet-to-helmet hits in Thursday night’s physical 21-20 loss to Denver, but the Broncos were penalized only once.

“I think there is a little bit of prejudice to that,” Rivera said of the lack of penalties. “It’s kind of like Shaquille O’Neal. He’s a big, physical basketball player and he goes to set a pick and they fall down and they call a foul on him. Then he goes to shoot a layup and gets hacked and hammered and they don’t call it.”

Rivera even went as far as to say the league’s reigning MVP should receive some preferential treatment. The coach would like to see Newton, now in his sixth season, get some “veteran favoritism” from the league’s officials.

Newton was tested four times for a concussion — after the game in the locker room, on the bus, on the flight home and Friday morning at the stadium — and all proved to be negative. He was never tested during the game.

Rivera said he will send video of some of the hits to the league. “Some of them you would like to see them throw the flags,” Rivera said without identifying which hits.

The NFL doesn’t disagree with Rivera. A person with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press that league officials say linebacker Brandon Marshall should have been flagged for a second-half hit on Newton.

No deal

The Broncos’ Marshall says standing up for social justice by kneeling during the national anthem before the season opener was worth it even though it cost him an endorsement deal.

The Air Academy Federal Credit Union on Friday terminated its five-month-old relationship with Marshall, President and CEO Glenn Strebe said in a Facebook post.

“AAFCU is a membership-based organization who has proudly served the military community for over 60 years. While we respect Brandon’s right of expression, his actions are not a representation of our organization and membership. We wish Brandon well on his future endeavors,” Strebe wrote.

Marshall said the move surprised him but he doesn’t regret his actions.

“Absolutely, they’re worth the consequences,” Marshall said. “I lost an endorsement. It’s OK, though, I figured that some type of repercussion would happen.”

Etc.

Buffalo’s Seantrel Henderson has decided to drop plans to appeal the NFL’s four-game suspension even though his agent said the Bills right tackle was using marijuana for medicinal purposes to relieve the effects of Crohn’s disease. ... Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s opener against the San Diego Chargers. Charles has been trying to come back from his second ACL surgery.