NEW YORK — The NFL will review how the Panthers’ medical team handled a hit to Cam Newton’s head during Carolina’s loss to Denver in the season opener.

The league said Sunday it wants to ensure the concussion protocol is being “uniformly applied across all 32 teams.”

So along with the players’ association, the NFL will review “the relevant documents and video, and interview the involved parties.”

Newton took several hard hits in Thursday night’s game, including four helmet to helmet and one after which he appeared woozy. The union has questioned why Newton didn’t undergo a cognitive exam on the sideline during the game.

Newton was tested four times for a concussion – after the game in the locker room, on the bus, on the flight home and Friday morning at the stadium – and all proved to be negative. He was never tested during the game.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy reiterated in his statement that this review “does not mean that we have seen any evidence that the protocol was applied improperly, but simply reflects our obligation to ensure the health and safety of our players.”

Opening day in the NFL saw Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters raise a black-gloved fist during the national anthem, a protest amplified later when four Miami Dolphins – Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, Jelani Jenkins and Kenny Stills – kneeled on the sideline with hands on their hearts as “The Star Spangled Banner” played.

The protests were inspired by San Francisco backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the first NFL player who chose to sit and take a knee during the anthem in preseason games to call attention to what he termed the oppression of blacks and other minorities.