Cam Newton was benched to start the 'Sunday Night Football' game for disciplinary reasons and it immediately hurt the team
(NBC)
The Carolina Panthers shocked everybody at the start of their "Sunday Night Football" game against the Seattle Seahawks when Cam Newton was benched for the start of the game and according to multiple reports it was for disciplinary reasons.
The decision by head coach Ron Rivera immediately hurt the team.
With the Panthers taking the opening kickoff, long-time Panthers backup Derek Anderson took the field instead of Newton. Sure enough, on his first play, he rolled out to the right and his pass bounced off the hands of his receiver and was intercepted.
The Seahawks turned the turnover into an early 3-0 lead.
The NBC announcers were initially unaware of the switch and had no idea why Anderson started. However, they speculated that "something happened" and there was some immediate indication that the move was disciplinary.
According to Lindsay Jones of USA Today, the Panthers told the media the move was not injury related and that it was simply the decision of Rivera.
Several reports indicated that the radio broadcast for the Panthers said Newton was benched from some unspecified rules infraction.
Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer later comfirmed a Panthers radio broadcast report, saying Newton was benched for "disciplinary reasons." Al Michaels later said on NBC that Newton broke "a minor team rule."
It is still unclear what exactly prompted the move.
Newton did return to the lineup at the start of the Panthers' second drive.
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