Newton finally gets COVID-19 vaccine, now he needs a team
Cam Newton says he has been vaccinated against contracting COVID-19 and is ready to return to the NFL.
The quarterback who was cut by New England just before the season began published a video on his YouTube channel saying it’s time to get back into pro football. He is a free agent.
“Hell yeah, I still want to play football,” Newton said in the video. “I still get that urge to go out and perform and do something that I’ve been doing since I was 7 years old.”
The 2015 NFL MVP was the Patriots’ starter for most of 2020, when they went 7-9 during a pandemic-impacted season. But New England went with first-round draft choice Mac Jones this year and released the 32-year-old Newton.
There were COVID-19 related issues for Newton last season, and he was absent for three preseason practices this summer in what the team termed a misunderstanding about protocols.
Newton was not vaccinated when he was released, but says he now is. He added that “side effects weren’t beneficial to me” for not getting the vaccine, but was not specific about those side effects.
BROWNS HUNT OUT WEEKS, MAYFIELD QUESTIONABLE >> The Browns will be without one of their best offensive players for quite a while.
He might have company on the sideline.
Punishing running back Kareem Hunt is expected to miss at least one month because of a significant calf injury sustained against Arizona on Sunday, one of several key injuries to a Cleveland team with little time to heal.
The Browns are also awaiting further tests on quarterback Baker Mayfield’s injured left shoulder, and they aren’t sure yet if he — or other starters, including running back Nick Chubb and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. — will be able to play Thursday night when Cleveland hosts the Denver Broncos.
“I’ll have a better sense tomorrow with a lot of these guys. I don’t know is the truth. I have to see how Baker and all these guys respond over the next 24 hours,” Stefanski said on a Zoom call.
Hunt, who has rushed for 361 yards and five touchdowns this season, got hurt in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 37-14 loss to the Cardinals.
Stefanski said that Hunt, who along with Chubb gives Cleveland one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks, will likely go on injured reserve, which means missing at least three games. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM STICKING WITH HEINICKE AT QB >> Ron Rivera said Monday he is not considering replacing Taylor Heinicke with Kyle Allen as Washington’s starting quarterback.
That means Heinicke is set to make his sixth consecutive start Sunday at the Green Bay Packers. Heinicke was 24 of 39 for 172 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 31-13 loss to Kansas City that dropped Washington to 2-4.
“I’ve been very confident in what we’ve done with Taylor,” Rivera said. “Not every week’s going to be as productive as people want it to be, as we want it to be, so we’ll just have to see and we’ll see what happens going forward.”
Heinicke has completed 63.6% of his passes for 1,390 yards, nine TDs and six INTs since replacing injured No. 1 quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in the season opener. With Fitzpatrick on injured reserve with a right hip injury, Allen is the only other QB on the roster.
But Rivera believes Heinicke is showing signs of growth and will improve with more experience. Counting the wild-card game in the playoffs last season, Heinicke has only started six NFL games. VIKINGS’ PETERSON ON IR WITH HAMSTRING INJURY >> Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson was placed on injured reserve on Monday after hurting his hamstring against Carolina and must miss a minimum of three games.
Coach Mike Zimmer said the injury was not believed to be season-ending, so the 11-year veteran Peterson will be expected to return at some point during the second half of the schedule. COWBOYS QB PRESCOTT DOWNPLAYS INJURY >> Dak Prescott promised not to miss any time after straining his right calf on the touchdown pass in overtime that gave the Dallas Cowboys their first win at New England since 1987.