Football coaches like to say there’s a difference between being hurt and being injured. That distinction is apparently what Panthers coach Ron Rivera was making when he said on Tuesday that Cam Newton isn’t injured.
Newton, who has battled rib and ankle injuries this year and now reportedly has a foot injury as well, confirmed today that he is, in fact, hurting.
“Hurt is hurt. If you’re asking me, am I hurt right now? Yeah, I’m hurt. I haven’t, you know, felt 100 percent in a long time,” Newton told reporters today. “You ask me a question, is Cam Newton hurt? Yes, I’m hurt. And that’s all honesty. But can I play? Yes, I can play and I will be playing. It’s mind over matter.”
So while Rivera says that Newton isn’t injured -- in the sense that he has a medical condition severe enough that it would cause him to miss a game -- it’s clear that Newton is in pain, and not playing as well as he would be if he weren’t in pain. That was clear just from watching Newton in Monday night’s loss to the Eagles: He appeared to be struggling to move around and nowhere near as mobile as he’s been in the past.
But if it wasn’t clear enough from his play, Newton made it clear with his words. Yes, he’s hurt.
