Newton believes mishap contributed to release
QB missed time from Pats camp due to COVID testing confusion / Boston Herald
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.
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.
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.
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. Newton attended a doctor’s appointment in Atlanta, and because he was unvaccinated, he had to stay away from the team for five days.
“Do I think this would have happened without me being away from the team for five days? Honestly, yes,”
Newton said. “It was going to happen. Did it help ease the decision? Yes.”
Newton tested positive for COVID-19 last season, forcing him to miss a game. 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.
Jones, the 15th overall pick in April’s draft, became the first quarterback ever selected in the first round by Belichick during his 21year tenure in New England. 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.
“They’re going to football games with Jones,” Newton said.
“But they were going to win them with you as well, too,” Cecil Newton interjected.
“That’s a fact, too,” Newton replied. “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. 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?’”
Newton said if given the win Mac
opportunity to be Jones’ backup he would have taken it.
“I would have said absolutely,” Newton said. “The truth of matter is this: He would have been uncomfortable.”
Newton’s prospects for landing another starting job in the league aren’t clear. He was 7-8 as the Patriots’ starter in 2020 and was mostly inconsistent.
He led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns but threw for only 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns with 10 interceptions. 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.
Newton said being at home for the start of an NFL season is “foreign” to him, but he insists there will be another chapter.
“Do I have a lot of football left in me yet? Absolutely,” Newton said.
Bucs-cowboys game posts highest TV numbers since 2015
The NFL came into kickoff weekend looking for increased audiences over last season. After one game, the league is off to a strong start with the most-watched opener in six years.
Thursday night’s 31-29 victory by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Dallas Cowboys averaged approximately 26 million viewers on NBC, Peacock and the NFL’S digital platforms according to preliminary data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.
It is a 20% increase over last year’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texas and the largest audience for an NFL opener since the Pittsburgh Steelers-new England Patriots game in 2015 averaged 27.4 million.
Of course, the 2020 season was played during the pandemic, with empty stadiums presenting a strange viewing dynamic, and many people’s viewing habits changing.
The average of 24.4 million viewers on NBC makes it television’s most-watched show since February’s Super Bowl on CBS. The audience peaked at 25.4 million between 9:45-10 p.m. ET.
Even though the league’s new television deal doesn’t officially kick in until 2023, some elements are taking effect this season, including Week 1 doubleheaders on both CBS and Fox. The featured 4:25 p.m. ET games will be Cleveland at Kansas City on CBS and Green Bay facing New Orleans in Jacksonville on Fox. The game was moved out of New Orleans due to Louisiana still recovering from Hurricane Ida.
The league has allowed doubleheaders on both CBS and Fox during the final week of the regular season. That means both networks will have 10 doubleheader weeks as the league expands to 17 games over 18 weeks for the first time.
Sunday will mark the first time CBS has had a Week 1 doubleheader since 2015. For many years it couldn’t air a doubleheader on the opening week because it was carrying the U.S. Open tennis tournament, which now is on ESPN.
Dallas Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins was suspended five games Friday for violating the NFL’S substance-abuse policy.
The suspension came a day after Collins played his first game since 2019 in the Cowboys’ opener, a 31-29 loss to defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay. Collins missed all of 2020 because of a hip issue that required surgery.
Collins won’t be eligible until Week 8 against Minnesota, after Dallas’ open week. The absence means the Cowboys will go at least 22 consecutive games without their top three linemen playing together.
Four-time All-pro right guard Zack Martin, who played a career-low 10 games last year because of a calf injury, missed the opener after testing positive for COVID-19 five days before the game.
Left tackle Tyron Smith, a seven-time Pro Bowler, was limited to two games last season while undergoing neck surgery.