NFL looking into why Cam Newton didn't talk to media, he could face a fine

Not all of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s news conferences have gone so well this season, but he’s still required to do them.

For some reason, Newton hasn’t talked to the media in Charlotte. He canceled his scheduled news conference Wednesday, the usual day for quarterbacks to talk to the local media, and declined again Thursday. The NFL told ESPN it’s looking into the matter.

While Newton might not enjoy interacting with the media, it’s part of his job. The NFL has a media policy that, in part, says “Star players, or other players with unusually heavy media demands, must be available to the media that regularly cover their teams at least once during the practice week in addition to their required post-game media availability.”

Newton is one of the NFL’s biggest stars. All players “must be available to the media following every game and regularly during the practice week,” per the league’s policy. Famously, Marshawn Lynch was fined repeatedly for not following the media policy when he was with the Seattle Seahawks.

Newton had never missed a news conference before this week, according to the Charlotte Observer. It’s easy to wonder if this is in response to the controversy earlier this season, in which Newton insulted a female reporter by saying it was funny to hear a woman talk about passing routes. Newton later apologized. That reporter, Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, took a leave from the beat after that controversy but was back Wednesday, according to Carolina Blitz.

Maybe Newton is just waiting until Friday to give his views on the Chicago Bears. If not, he might be punished by the NFL.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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