Members of the New England Patriots are frustrated with quarterback Cam Newton in the wake of his accidental violation of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, according to NFL Network’s Mike Giardi.
Newton, the Patriots’ starting quarterback, will miss five days of work with New England and is eligible to return Thursday for the team’s second of two joint practices with the New York Giants ahead of a Week 3 preseason matchup on Sunday, the final game before the regular season.
Newton’s absence has created an opportunity for Mac Jones, who got an enormous amount of reps during Monday’s practice session without Newton. The rookie QB got his largest exposure to New England’s No. 1 defense in a single practice.
Bill Belichick was unwilling to address the situation. He was asked whether unvaccinated might be treated differently in New England because their availability might be different from vaccinated players.
“The league rules are the league rules,” he said. “We’ll be compliant with them.”
Belichick said it was “similar to last year,” with players potentially missing time due to COVID-19. A reporter, however, pointed out that it’s different than last year, because of the presence of the vaccine.
“Every team is dealing with the same situation,” Belichick said.
Would it put you at a disadvantage if your QB was not vaccinated?
“Every team is dealing with the same situation,” he repeated.
The list of pro-vaccine quarterbacks includes Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr, Matt Ryan, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Ryan Tannehill and Sam Darnold were hesitant but are now vaccinated.
New England released the following statement after Newton’s absence from practice on Monday.
“On Saturday, Cam Newton traveled to a Club-approved medical appointment that required him to leave the New England area. He received daily Covid tests, which were all negative,” the Patriots wrote Monday in a statement. “Due to a misunderstanding about tests conducted away from NFL facilities, and as required by the NFL-NFLPA protocols, Cam will be subject to the five-day entry cadence process before returning to the facility. Cam will continue participating virtually in team activities and return to the club facility on Thursday, August 26.”
Newton’s absence is a tremendous opportunity for Jones, who is surely looking to supplant Newton before Week 1.
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