Cam Newton, Roger Goodell confer via phone over QB's complaints about hits

Cam Newton got the phone call he wanted.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke via telephone with Newton about the Carolina quarterback's concerns over not being protected by game officials from hits while in the pocket, a person familiar with the situation said.

The phone call came Tuesday, but it's unclear exactly what they discussed. The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the details of the meeting were not disclosed.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy declined to comment.

Newton criticized league officials after Carolina's 30-20 win over Arizona on Sunday, saying that he doesn't feel safe in the pocket because officials are treating him differently than other QBs in the league by not throwing flags when he takes an illegal hit. He said he planned to talk to Goodell about his concerns.

Newton said he reached his breaking point when Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell tackled him below the knees as he released the football. Campbell was not penalized.

Retirement proved to be temporary for Percy Harvin, a once-dynamic playmaker who practiced with the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday after signing a one-year contract.

"It felt good, just the smell of the grass again, the smell of the pads when I walked in the locker room," Harvin said. "Man, when you're away from it, you miss so much of those things."

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is going back on injured reserve after developing swelling in his surgically repaired right knee, a person familiar with the decision said.

The designation means the four-time Pro Bowl running back will miss at least eight weeks, so he could return for the end of the regular season and the playoffs.

• The New York Jets will sign running back C.J. Spiller and cut newly acquired running back Knile Davis, sources said. Davis was claimed off waivers from the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday but will be waived when the Jets sign Spiller on Wednesday.

• Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams was suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. It's his second four-game suspension. Williams will miss Washington's games against the Vikings, Packers, Cowboys and Cardinals.