When Derek Anderson trotted onto the field to start the Panthers' eventual 40-7 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday night in Seattle, the sporting world went into a frenzy as to why Cam Newton wasn't playing.
Anderson threw an interception on the game's first play from scrimmage, and Newton entered the game for the next series. It was an ominous way for Carolina to begin the game.
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As it turns out, Newton really was punished just for failing to wear a tie.
“I violated the wardrobe (policy) and that’s it,” Newton said Thursday, via The Charlotte Observer. “You don’t have to dig into certain stories that [I] violated curfew, was out at a club, somebody was caught in the [hotel] room.”
Newton continues to stand by coach Ron Rivera's decision to sit him, stating that he knew the policy, having been called on it previously.
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“That’s just a warning for everybody,” Newton said. “And at no point in time, or even still, do I think I’m above the law. I never thought that. I’m not that type of player. A lot of people might think that from the outside looking in. It doesn’t bother me because they don’t know me.
“For anybody’s who’s ever known me or was on my team, they would know this situation could have been prevented because of my decision.”
The Panthers will try to get back on track Sunday at home against the Chargers (5-7). The game marks San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers' return to North Carolina. He starred for four years at N.C. State.