Ron Rivera 'very comfortable' with decision to bench Cam Newton

One day after facing intense scrutiny for his unorthodox move, Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he remains satisfied with his decision to bench star quarterback Cam Newton for a dress code violation.

“I’m very comfortable with it,” Rivera said Monday afternoon during a press conference. “Because the truth of the matter is I have to treat everybody the same. I really do. And that’s all that was. There’s no underlying message. There’s no feud. Because I’ve done this before. It’s just unfortunate that the guys that I’ve done it before weren’t the quarterback.

"I think that’s why it’s such a big deal. I think that’s quite honestly why it’s being made bigger than it really is. Because all I did was treat a player like I treat any other player.”

Cam Newton explains dress code violation that led to benching

Rivera benched Newton for the opening series for failing to wear a collared shirt and neck tie for Carolina’s flight to Seattle prior to facing the Seahawks. Newton, who wore a black turtleneck and jacket, said he did not have a dress shirt because the Panthers were on a long road trip after facing the Oakland Raiders the previous week.

Backup Derek Anderson threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage, and the Seahawks eventually converted a field goal. The Panthers lost 40-7 to drop their record to 4-8.

After the game, Newton said he stood by Rivera’s decision.

“I feel I wore a similar outfit as this before and nothing was done, but [Rivera] says he has rules in place and we have to abide by them,” Newton said late Sunday night. “No person is greater than the next person and, you know, it is what it is.”

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Rivera admitted that he knew the decision to bench Newton would prompt a “feeding frenzy,” but stressed multiple times during his news conference that the team has moved on and is focused on next week’s opponent, the San Diego Chargers.

“I’ve had to address this issue before, and I treat everybody the same,” Rivera said Monday. “It’s not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last time. It’s just the way it is. But at the end of the day, everybody gets treated the same. I’ve addressed it. Cam addressed it as well, and as far as I’m concerned, we’re moving on.”

Rivera, however, answered with an emphatic “no” when asked if he was worried about losing the locker room.

Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.

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