NFL Rumors: Roger Goodell to meet with Cam Newton to discuss late hits

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be visiting Cam Newton to discuss late hits. 

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been quite vocal when it comes to late hits. After Sunday’s win against the Arizona Cardinals, the star quarterback said he wanted to talk to Roger Goodell about all the late hits. Apparently Newton’s words did not fall on deaf ears, as Goodell will reportedly meet with the Panthers quarterback to discuss his concerns.

"According to Ed Werder of ESPN, Goodell promised [Panthers head coach Ron Rivera] that he will talk to Newton directly to hear the reigning MVP’s concerns. Goodell also promised that the league will review hits on Newton to determine whether he’s not getting enough protection."

The league will review the hits against Newton, which is normal. However, it’s interesting Goodell is going to hear out his concerns. Perhaps Goodell is finally starting to realize he needs to listen to the players if he wants to improve the NFL. With subpar ratings, the commissioner is starting to feel his hot seat.

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Whether or not anything will be done to alleviate Newton’s concerns remains to be seen. But for players, it’s fairly encouraging Goodell is finally starting to take some of their concerns seriously. While critics might argue the commissioner needs to start caring about protecting all players instead of just quarterbacks, it’s certainly a good start.

So far this season, Newton has missed several games due to injuries sustained from late hits. He suffered numerous questionable hits against the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. If the league wants to turn around its poor ratings, it needs to start making sure its stars can play. For better or for worse, those stars are usually the quarterbacks. Newton has 1,508 passing yards for nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also has three rushing touchdowns.