Cam Newton isn’t back in practice, but it sounds like the New England Patriots quarterback still has a chance to return for Monday’s game.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed Saturday that Newton is unlikely to practice. However, Belichick was mum on Newton’s status for Monday’s game against Denver. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe took it a step further, saying that “it’s in the realm of possibility” that Newton plays.
As of Saturday, Newton is still on the COVID-IR list. Medical clearance would be required for his return. He has, however, been involved in virtual meetings, so he’s been involved in prep work for the Denver game.
Playing Newton when he hasn’t practiced in two weeks would be a risk. However, it sounds like it could be on the table as long as he’s healthy.
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It has been nearly a week since Cam Newton tested positive for the coronavirus, but Bill Belichick says the New England Patriots quarterback is still taking part in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
Whlile he did not go into specifics about Newton’s health, Belichick told Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston on Thursday that Newton can “absolutely” participate in virtual meetings.
That’s a promising sign regarding how Newton is feeling. If he were having serious complications from contracting COVID-19, Belichick probably would not be talking about him taking part in team meetings.
Stephon Gilmore also tested positive for COVID-19 this week, giving the Patriots a total of three positive tests. Their facility has been closed as a result, so all preparation for Sunday’s game has been remote.
Newton shared an optimistic update on Instagram this week following his positive coronavirus test.
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Cam Newton could potentially miss multiple games after he tested positive for the coronavirus this week, but the New England Patriots quarterback is maintaining a positive attitude.
Newton took to Instagram on Sunday to post an optimistic message about getting himself healthy and being grateful.
“I never will question God’s reasoning, just will always respond with, ‘Yes Lord!!'” Newton wrote in his token social media font. “I appreciate all the love, support and well wishes!! I will take this time to get healthy and self reflect on the other amazing things that I should be grateful for.”
Newton will not play in this week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which has been postponed to Monday night. His availability for Week 5 when the Patriots host the Denver Broncos will depend on whether he is cleared from COVID-19 in the next week.
NFL fans were looking forward to watching Newton vs. Patrick Mahomes, and Bill Belichick heaped another round of praise on his quarterback this week. Unfortunately, that matchup is not one we’re going to see this year unless the two teams square off in the playoffs.
The New England Patriots will not have their starting quarterback on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19. He will be placed on the COVID-19/reserve list and miss Sunday’s game. Schefter added that, for now, there is no indication that the virus has spread to any of Newton’s teammates.
It’s a significant blow for the Patriots in what was expected to be an exciting matchup between two of the game’s most electric quarterbacks. New England will have to choose between Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer to start in Newton’s place.
Newton’s positive test comes on the same weekend as another game was postponed due to a separate outbreak. There was no initial word on how Newton was feeling or whether he was symptomatic.
Bill Belichick certainly seems to be impressed with what he’s seeing from quarterback Cam Newton in the early stages of the season.
The New England Patriots coach was full of praise for Newton’s “tremendous” leadership abilities, and praised how the quarterback interacts with his teammates.
“Cam does a great job of connecting with everybody, whether it’s his teammates, his receivers, guys on defense, other people in the organization,” Belichick said Friday, via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. “Again, I think the captain voting — not that that’s the ultimate or final determination of leadership — but I think the fact that he has been here a pretty short amount of time and earned that type of respect and support from his teammates is pretty impressive. But I think it’s across the board. It’s the offensive line, it’s the receivers, it’s all the offensive players and coaches and it extends into other areas, as well .. special teams and defense and other people in the organization. I think that we’ve all seen that and it’s impressive.”
The Patriots-Newton relationship appears to be working out very well so far. The team is 2-1, and Newton has played fairly well. He even seems to be getting along with Belichick. Belichick seems to be a fan of his, too, as the coach is not often one for public praise.
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Patrick Mahomes just outplayed one of the best quarterbacks in the AFC in Monday night’s win over the Baltimore Ravens, and he is hoping to do the same against the New England Patriots on Sunday. While Cam Newton may not be Lamar Jackson, Mahomes has plenty of respect for his upcoming opponent.
Mahomes was asked about Newton’s game on Wednesday, and he had very high praise for his fellow former NFL MVP.
“I wish I could do some of the things that he does as far as being physical and making things happen,” Mahomes said, via NFL Network’s James Palmer.
Newton is nowhere near as good of a player as Mahomes at this point in their respective careers, but he’s a different type of player. Mahomes keeps plays alive with his feet, but he’s arguably the best passer in the NFL. Newton still makes numerous plays with his legs and is far more physical than Mahomes. He’s also proven this season that he can still throw accurately downfield, though no one compares to Mahomes in that category.
We’d say the Chiefs have their work cut out for them against Newton and the Patriots, but we all saw what Mahomes just did to the Ravens. Jackson made a tough admission about his AFC foe after that game, and it will be interesting to see how Newton feels following his showdown with Mahomes and company.
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Cam Newton and Bill Belichick have only worked together for around three months, but they are apparently already on a nickname basis.
During his weekly appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Morning Show” Monday, Newton was asked if his New England Patriots teammates have come up with a nickname for him yet. He said they shouldn’t bother because he’s the “name-caller” and nicknames for him never stick. That led to a follow-up question about whether Newton has coined a nickname for Belichick. He has.
We can only imagine how Belichick feels about that one.
If you’ve heard some of the things Newton has said about Belichick since he signed with New England, you know he’s been pleasantly surprised with how well the two have gotten along. Most players refer to Belichick as “Coach Belichick.” Newton must really be a part of the future Hall of Famer’s inner circle.
Cam Newton is now a member of the Patriots! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Cam Newton Patriots shirt. You can buy it here.
Cam Newton has played so well through the first two weeks of the season that there is already talk of the New England Patriots potentially signing him to a contract extension. However, it does not sound like either side has much interest in exploring that at the moment.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that it is unlikely the Patriots will give Newton a raise or sign him to an extension in the middle of the season. New England likely wants to play it safe given Newton’s injury history, and Newton may also prefer to wait until the offseason. At that point, he could either be hit with the franchise tag and make a huge salary next season or sign a long-term deal.
Newton is currently playing under a league minimum deal that includes incentives. His biggest incentive, of course, is to prove he is still an elite starting QB and deserves a big free agent deal. If the Patriots give him more money after just two games, Newton may be less motivated to perform.
Newton once again reminded us recently of why he is not thinking about money at the moment. That is a smart mentality to have. If he can stay healthy and continue to play like he has, the contract will take care of itself.
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Cam Newton is well on his way to proving he should still be considered a high-end starting quarterback in the NFL, but he insists he is not thinking about the financial stability his success could bring.
Newton’s contract with the New England Patriots includes a league minimum base salary with several incentives. During his appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” Tuesday, Newton said money is “not important” at this stage of his career.
“Let’s be honest, I’ve made money,” Newton said. “But for everything I play this game for, I haven’t received yet. And that’s why I’m playing. It’s not about money, it’s about respect.”
The Patriots presented Newton with a rare opportunity to compete for a starting job, which is all he was concerned about. He says he didn’t really try to get more money from them because he didn’t want to drag out the negotiations.
“And especially going back to the negotiating table when this opportunity presented itself, I didn’t want to keep going back-and-forth, this and that,” he said. “I said, ‘Listen, let’s get the deal done. Let’s do it.’ For all that it’s worth, it’s going to pay dividends moving forward.”
Newton was also asked if he is thinking about potentially signing a contract extension with the Patriots. While he said he has already grown to love the culture in New England, he insists his contract is way down on his priority list at the moment.
Teams will continue to monitor Newton’s health, but he has already shown he is still a dynamic playmaker. He has also said all the right things about some difficult situations, which could help him even more if he hits free agency. At 31, Newton should still have many years of elite football left in him if he can avoid injuries.
Cam Newton is now a member of the Patriots! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Cam Newton Patriots shirt. You can buy it here.
The New England Patriots had a chance to defeat the Seattle Seahawks on the final play of the game on Sunday night, but the designed run they called for Cam Newton was stuffed at the goal line. Many felt offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels should have gone with a passing play, but Newton strongly believes it was the right call.
Newton said after his team’s 35-30 loss that it’s possible the Patriots “went to the well one too many times,” but he said the play came down to execution. He was even more adamant in defending the call during his appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” Tuesday.
Newton said he watched the tape of the play and felt he could have bounced it outside. You can see from the angle below that he probably could have gotten to the corner, though that’s easier to say in hindsight.
As Newton mentioned, the quarterback power run had been successful the previous three times McDaniels called it in the game. Belichick also defended the decision and said he has no issue with the Patriots calling their “best play.”
The big takeaway is the accountability from Newton. He’s quickly established himself as a leader in New England by doing and saying all of the right things. If you want to know whether he has earned the respect of his teammates, look no further than what Matthew Slater said after Sunday’s game.
Cam Newton is now a member of the Patriots! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Cam Newton Patriots shirt. You can buy it here.
