CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said he’s not worried about the long-term effects of repeated hits to his head.

But his father has concerns.

With Cam Newton sidelined with a concussion, the Panthers are what their record says they are: a bad team. Associated Press

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The league’s MVP took four helmet-to-helmet shots in Carolina’s 21-20 loss to the Denver Broncos, although only one of the hits drew a flag and none resulted in any penalty yardage.

Despite the well-publicized effects of repeated concussions to NFL players, Newton said Wednesday his focus is solely on winning football games .

“That’s it, winning,” Newton said when asked about his long-term health. “I’m not here to worry about retirement plans. I’m not here to worry about pensions. I’m not here to worry about worker’s (compensation). I’m here to win football games, simple and plain.”

Newton added, “This is a contact sport. This is a physical sport. I play the game for the right reasons. Whatever Coach asks me to do, I’m going to do it to win football games.”

Newton’s father, Cecil Newton, said his 27-year-old son is too young to fully comprehend what multiple hits to the head can do over a long period of time. He wants to see his son protected more on the field by officials.

“Cam is in that superhuman mindset right now,” Cecil Newton said. “He will understand player safety far more critically 20 years from now.”

Cecil also believes hitting his son has become a badge of honor for some defenders.

“I think some players feel like they have arrived when they hit Cam,” Cecil Newton said. “Going out of your way, playing dirty, pushing legal stuff to the limit, I question your intentions.”

Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall was fined $24,309 and safety Darian Stewart $18,231 for helmet-to-helmet hits on Newton, a person told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the NFL hasn’t announced the fines.

Newton had no reaction, saying there’s “no need to look back.”

“I wish some calls could have gotten made,” Panthers left tackle Michael Oher said. “There were some calls that could have been made. But maybe in the future he’ll be treated more like a quarterback.”

Newton added he doesn’t feel the need to lobby for his health, even as his teammates and coaches have done that for him.

Among those was his Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen, who said officials treat Newton like he’s running back instead of a quarterback just because of his size. Newton is 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, and has run for more touchdowns than any quarterback in NFL history.

“I don’t think you can talk about player safety and then have what unfolded,” Olsen said of the NFL. “You can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth. Player safety sounds great. It’s a great offseason rallying crying. It sounds awesome. But we got zero yards out of those hits.”

Newton returned to practice Wednesday, Carolina’s first since losing to the Broncos when Graham Gano’s 50-yard field goal sailed wide left in the final seconds.

Newton wore his typical long black sweatpants, long-sleeve black shirt and a red No. 1 practice jersey on the field, and lined up with the first-team offense.

He said he’s ready to play in Carolina’s home opener Sunday against the 49ers, who are coming off a 28-0 shutout win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Asked how he feels, Newton replied, “Unbelievable.”

“I don’t think there is a game that goes by that any NFL player doesn’t feel sore,” Newton said. “It’s a contact sport and we have to plan accordingly to get back to 100 percent.”

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