Video Shows Awkward Moment Cam Newton Finds Out He's Benched For Dress Code

The very real, not-even-kidding news that Cam Newton was benched for violating team dress code was already weird on its own.

But now it just got that much more awkward.

By the looks of a video released by — who else? — TMZ, it appears Panthers head coach Ron Rivera had to walk off his own bus over to the players' ride just to tell Newton he would not be starting Carolina's game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night.

The short clip shows Newton as disappointed as you might have imagined.

As for the exact reason why Newton was benched, reports indicate it was because Newton didn't wear a necktie and had instead opted to wear a turtleneck.

Coach Rivera told reporters,

It was a travel dress-code violation. So we said let's treat him like I do all the other players on the team, and he didn't start.

According to ESPN, the violation stemmed from the nuances of NFL traveling policies. The Panthers had been in California for a week, following their game against the Raiders last Sunday.

On Friday, players shipped home the majority of clothes they'd brought with them on the lengthy trip, ESPN reports. Newton did the same, apparently shipping his dress shirts and ties.

By the time he realized he needed a different outfit, he had no time to find one.

Newton told reports,

I didn't follow dress code, and Coach told me I wasn't going to start. I stand by his decision.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's get to the funny stuff, because it's obvious why this is hilarious, right? First off, the decision to bench Newton for the first series of the game immediately blew up in the Panthers faces when, on the very first play of the game, backup QB Derek Anderson threw an interception.

rpmsports18: Derek Anderson in over Cam Newton to start the game. What c… NBC Sunday Night … https://t.co/W7ojd3ynmQ pic.twitter.com/H4Jml781hO — FanSportsClips (@FanSportsClips) December 5, 2016

Secondly, um, have you seen what Cam Newton wears? If anything, the turtleneck that earned him a violation is one of the most normal pieces of clothing he's ever put on.

Anyway, the time Newton missed on the field didn't seem to matter anyway, as the Panthers got blasted by the Seahawks 40-7. That has to hurt more than any violation.

Citations: Cam Newton