By: James Barkley, Contributing Writer

The quarterback position has changed drastically in the National Football League over the years and, as a result of new rules designed to better protect quarterbacks, it has now highlighted an issue as to how officials should view and protect these high dollar players. With the success of mobile quarterbacks in college football, the trend has been for NFL teams to draft quarterbacks who are more mobile and play more of an out of the pocket role. It can be easily forgotten that someone like Michael Vick played the same position as Peyton Manning in college as well as the NFL, but that should not take away the fact that they are both quarterbacks and should be remembered by officials as such, even if their styles are totally different.

With mobile quarterbacks, the question is: when do they become more of a runner and no longer have the protection as a quarterback? Generally, when they leave the protection of the pocket they become a different player in the eyes of the referees. Cam Newton is a prime example. He is so big, mobile and a threat to run as well as pass that he becomes a bigger target. Newton takes questionable shots from opposing players every game that he plays. Sometimes it is his fault for leaving the pocket and not looking before running toward the sidelines or strolling into the end zone. However, there are times when officials should have thrown a flag for another player taking a dirty shot.

This happened during the Panthers game against the Arizona Cardinals when Calais Campbell took a low shot on Newton’s knees while he was still in the pocket. Campbell was later fined for this hit, but officials should be flagging these types of plays during the game before someone gets seriously injured, instead of trying to save face by fining the player afterwards.

Now this isn’t the first time this has happened to Newton, but it obviously crossed a line in his mind. He talked after the game about how he felt his safety was in danger out on the field, and how it is taking away from his love of the game. The officials stated after the game that there were three missed calls during the Cardinals game, which leads one to wonder how many total missed calls these officials have accumulated over their careers.

It’s also curious how these officials determine what is justified as a penalty by taking into account the physical build of the quarterback.  As a result, Newton is becoming the “Shaq of the NFL” by the way he doesn’t receive some calls due to his size and strength. Shaq didn’t get called every time he got fouled in basketball because he was so physically dominant. Newton has found himself in a similar situation. He’s bigger than the majority of the other quarterbacks in the NFL and he plays the game differently as well. When he is out of the pocket, all rules aside, Newton is a runner and he should be treated as one. You cannot have it both ways.  But even then, Newton is subject to questionable hits. Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos went airborne to perform a helmet-to-helmet hit on Newton in week one. No flag was thrown during the play, but Marshall was later fined for the hit. Marshall’s shot towards Newton is one of many that are being brought up in the discussion regarding Newton being treated differently when it comes to calls.

Players like Cam Newton, and others coming from the college game, have changed the role of the quarterback in the NFL through the incorporation of quarterbacks into the run game.  In college, quarterbacks are better suited as runners, but in the NFL, with bigger and faster defensive players, it’s not the same.  Quarterbacks in the NFL cannot run away from the defense. A successful running quarterback in the NFL is still the exception to the rule.  This is why a quarterback with a quick release, like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, is still the norm. This is also what makes Cam Newton so exceptional. Like Russell Wilson and few other quarterbacks in the NFL, he is both.

At the end of the day, a quarterback is still a quarterback, even when he is running.  If the NFL and its owners are serious about protecting their most valuable asset, late hits need to start being called to protect Newton and others before they are seriously injured. He may act like Superman, but he is not impervious to injury. It’s only a matter of time before that happens and he is out of the game. Cam Newton isn’t built like your typical quarterback and he certainly doesn’t play like one either, but he should still have the same treatment as anyone else as long as he is in the pocket.