May 5, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers line backer Donavin Newsom (62) warms up during the 49ers Rookie Minicamp at Levi’s Stadium. Photo Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Newsom was hurt when he ran into safety Chanceller James as the two players were attempting to defend a pass over the middle. He lay motionless while his teammates took a knee and formed a circle around him.
Although Newsom appeared to lose consciousness, according to the Sacramento Bee, coach Kyle Shanahan said the player’s eyes were open and he had feeling in his lower half and hands.
Newsom was strapped to a back brace by emergency medical technicians and placed in an ambulance on the field to be taken to Stanford Hospital. Shanahan expressed optimism that Newsom would be all right but didn’t want to get ahead of himself.
“I’d like to talk to the family and find out everything before I start speculating on anything,” Shanahan said.
–Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will not play in Carolina’s preseason opener Wednesday against the Houston Texans.
Soreness in his right shoulder limited Newton in training camp practices and the Panthers are taking the risk-averse route in August, coach Ron Rivera said.
Newton was able to throw in practice Monday and again Tuesday, when he worked mostly on a side field with a trainer.
Veteran Derek Anderson filled in for Newton in the past. But while Anderson has been steady at times, he lacks the dynamic elements that Newton brings to the offense.
–Former Pro Bowl cornerback Brandon Flowers announced his retirement.
The 31-year-old Flowers played nine NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. He was released by the Chargers in March.
Flowers completes his career with 21 interceptions and he returned four for touchdowns. He also had 490 tackles, four forced fumbles and three sacks.
Flowers played his first six seasons with the Chiefs and totaled 17 interceptions. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2013 and then departed as a free agent and signed with San Diego and had four interceptions in 31 games with the Chargers. But he played in just six games last season due to injuries.
–The Green Bay Packers parted ways with troubled defensive tackle Letroy Guion by announcing the release of the 322-pound run stuffer.
Guion was arrested on drunk-driving charges in June and also received a four-game suspension without pay for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
The suspension, which was set to begin at the start of the 2017 season, marked Guion’s second dose of league discipline in three seasons. He received a three-game penalty in 2015 for his first offense.
Guion recorded 30 tackles last season, his third with the Packers. He played his first six campaigns with the Minnesota Vikings. Guion posted 173 tackles and 8.5 sacks during nine NFL seasons.
–Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis will be away from the team to deal with an unspecified “minor health issue,” the team announced.
The team said in a statement that Lewis’ absence is expected to be brief, with a possible return on Tuesday night or later in the week.
The 58-year-old Lewis is in his 15th season as coach of the Bengals, guiding the club to a 118-103-3 record. Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons will lead the team during Lewis’ absence.
–Retired NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason said Monday on his WFAN radio show “Boomer & Carton” with Craig Carton that he believe he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, during his storied career.
Esiason, 56, also said he believes all NFL players probably have CTE, which is associated with concussions.
“If I died tomorrow and my brain basically was taken and researched and I was found to have CTE, which most likely I have, because I think all football players probably have it,” Boomer said.
The retired quarterback played 14 NFL seasons from 1984 to 1997 with the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, throwing for 37,920 yards (20th most all-time) and 247 touchdowns (22nd all-time).
–Film director Spike Lee is using social media to invite fans and supporters to gather in support of unemployed quarterback Colin Kaepernick this month.
A social media post from Lee called for a “Rally for Colin” and “United We Stand” rally and will start at 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 23 at 345 Park Avenue in New York City. The address is noteworthy as the headquarters of the NFL administrative offices.
Kaepernick remains unsigned one month before the start of the 2017 regular season. Lee and others have suggested Kaepernick, who was 2-10 as a starter with the 49ers last season, is not employed by a team because of his public position on social injustices.
Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem before games last season to raise awareness for such issues, but declared in the offseason he would not bring any form of protest to a new team in 2017.
