![]() Newton had never confirmed his vaccination status, saying it was personal. According to NFL-NFLPA protocols, Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals - including all players - are exempt from daily testing if they have received the COVID-19 vaccine. The Patriots had disclosed that Newton had undergone daily testing at the time, all of which were negative. Newton was away from the Patriots for five days last week due to what the team called a COVID-19 protocol "misunderstanding." He missed three practices over that stretch, which allowed rookie Mac Jones to take control of the team. The rate of positive tests among unvaccinated NFL personnel was seven times higher than the rate of positive tests among vaccinated personnel, according to the league. The NFL previously announced that 68 players and staff tested positive for COVID-19 out of 7,190 tested individuals during a three-week stretch from Aug. "I would just point out that I don't know what the number is, but the number of players, coaches and staff members that have been infected by COVID in this training camp - who have been vaccinated - is a pretty high number. Look, you guys keep talking about that," Belichick told reporters Wednesday morning. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Cam Newton's vaccination status wasn't a factor in the team's decision to release him. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick says Cam Newton's vaccination status had no factor in releaseįOXBOROUGH, Mass. "Do I have a lot of football left in me yet? Absolutely,'' Newton said.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser Newton said being at home for the start of an NFL season is ``foreign'' to him, but he insists there will be another chapter. The passing yards and TDs were the fewest of his career except for 2019 in Carolina, when he appeared in only two games before being sidelined for the remainder of the season due to injury. He led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns but threw for only 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He was 7-8 as the Patriots' starter in 2020 and was mostly inconsistent. Newton's prospects for landing another starting job in the league aren't clear. "The truth of the matter is this: He would have been uncomfortable.'' "I would have said absolutely,'' Newton said. Newton said if given the opportunity to be Jones' backup he would have taken it. ![]() I think when they picked him the selection that they did pick him.one of those things that they wanted to find out is, 'Is he capable of leading this offense to be productive?''' "But I don't want the audience saying `He's just saying that because he's not there no more.' No, Mac is good enough. "But they were going to win them with you as well, too,'' Cecil Newton interjected. "They're going to win football games with Mac Jones,'' Newton said. He is slated to become the first rookie quarterback to start the opener for the Patriots since Drew Bledsoe in 1993 when they host the Miami Dolphins. Jones, the 15th overall pick in April's draft, became the first quarterback ever selected in the first round by Belichick during his 21-year tenure in New England. But following his release, Belichick emphatically denied that the prospect of Newton potentially being unavailable this season because he hadn't been vaccinated played a role in the team's ultimate decision to cut him. Newton tested positive for COVID-19 last season, forcing him to miss a game. "Do I think this would have happened without me being away from the team for five days? Honestly, yes,'' Newton said. Newton attended a doctor's appointment in Atlanta, and because he was unvaccinated, he had to stay away from the team for five days. Newton started each of New England's three preseason games, but also missed five days of practice leading into the exhibition finale against the New York Giants after a "misunderstanding'' of NFL COVID-19 protocols. Joined by his father, Cecil Newton Sr., and sitting at the 50-yard line of his alma mater Westlake High School in Atlanta, Cam Newton said though the Patriots coaching staff never treated him differently, he did begin "seeing signs of change'' late in training camp that led him to believe his starting job might not be secure. In a 45-minute video posted on social media Friday Newton, 32, made it clear he doesn't plan to retire and thinks rookie Mac Jones will have success as the starter this season. (AP) - Former Patriots quarterback Cam Newton says he was caught by surprise by his release in New England and believes his weeklong absence near the end of training camp due to a mishap related to COVID-19 testing protocols contributed to coach Bill Belichick's decision.
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