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New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton will miss Wednesday’s joint practice with the New York Giants before potentially returning on Thursday for the final session.
This comes on the heels of Newton leaving the New England area for a team-approved doctor’s appointment over the weekend. The Patriots called the entire situation a “misunderstanding.”
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“On Saturday, Cam Newton traveled to a club-approved medical appointment that required him to leave the New England area,” the Patriots said in a statement. “He received daily COVID tests, which were all negative. 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.”
Per NFL and NFLPA rules relating to COVID-19, the daily testing only applies to those who are unvaccinated. Additionally, the five-day re-entry period applies to those who have broken COVID-19 protocol.
As a result of this misunderstanding, Newton will need to test negative for five consecutive days before he’s allowed to return to team facilities.
When asked if Newton’s situation would prompt him to pressure some of his own players to get vaccinated, Giants head coach Joe Judge remained firm in his stance that it’s a personal decision each player has to make for themselves.
“We’ve been very clear with our players the entire time that obviously they have the choice and we’re going to support their choice, but the protocols have to be followed and make sure we’re on the same page,” Judge said.
Judge refused to comment further on players from another teams or the league’s COVID-19 protocols.
“I want to make it clear because I don’t know the situation that happened up there and I’m not going to comment on anybody else’s team,” Judge added.
With Newton now sitting out on Wednesday, the Giants will get a heavy dose of Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones in practice.
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