Cam Newton is not going to be missing more time than required.
The New England Patriots quarterback broke COVID-19 protocols due to a "misunderstanding" when he flew to a team-approved medical appointment over the weekend. Since Newton apparently is unvaccinated, he was subject to a five-day re-entry period.
But Newton will be back on the practice field Thursday, Bill Belichick confirmed Thursday morning, and it doesn't appear the Patriots head coach is holding a grudge.
“He didn’t go against team rules. It was a misunderstanding," Belichick told reporters. "That’s what I said in the statement.”
Earlier in the week, Belichick effectively referred to the statement when peppered with questions about Newton. That said, there are reports that the Patriots are "frustrated" internally with Newton.
Now, this does have major ramifications for Newton. His absences this week allowed for Mac Jones to make a legitimate case for the starting quarterback job. It also tugs at the "best ability is availability" notion that since Newton chooses not to get vaccinated, it ultimately is impacting the team. In fairness, it's unclear if Jones is vaccinated himself, as he also ducked questions about the shot(s) earlier in camp.
Whatever the case, Newton has some ground to make up. Mistakes happen, and it probably was just a misunderstanding. However, it might be one that ultimately tanks Newton's chances of opening the season as New England's starter.
