【18 U.S.C 2257】

8 U.S.C 2257NFL fined two Denver Broncos defenders for helmet-to-helmet hits on Cam Newton in Thursday's NFL season opener.

The league handed safety Darian Stewart an $18,231 fine, and linebacker Brandon Marshall was charged $24,309, according to multiple reports.

Newton got clobbered all night in the Panthers' 21-20 loss, though only one of those helmet-to-helmet knocks was called a penalty. Stewart was flagged in the fourth quarter for roughing the passer, but Newton's intentional grounding on the same play offset the penalty.

All of the Head to Head hits on Cam Newton

Many — including Newton's dad, Cecil — argued that the reigning MVP was officiated unfairly.

"I'm beginning to question the consistency of how games are being called -- and who they would call this particular play against versus this particular player," Cecil Newton told ESPN on Friday.

"At the end of the day, Cam deserves to be protected just Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins, Andy Dalton, and the list goes on and on," he said.

Some also questioned the legitimacy of the NFL's push for player safety. Whether or not Newton was adequately tested for a concussion — both during and after the contest — remains murky, at best.

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Newton was asked questions after the contest to decide whether he should be in concussion protocol, but the quarterback said it was "nothing too serious," according to NFL.com. Other reports say Newton arrived later than usual to his post-game press conference because he was in concussion protocol.

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The NFL announced Wednesday it would commit $100 million to concussion-prevention initiatives, but it just placed a $42,540 price tag on the brain of its Most Valuable Player.