FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Cam Newton’s vaccination status was not a factor in the team’s decision to release him.
“No, look, keep talking about it,” Belichick told reporters Wednesday morning.
“I would just point out that I don’t know what the number is, but the number of players, coaches and staff members who have been affected by COVID in this training camp – who have been vaccinated – is a pretty high number so I wouldn’t miss it of view “.
The NFL previously announced that 68 players and staff tested positive in COVID-19 out of 7,190 individuals tested over a three-week stretch from Aug. 1 to 21. The positive test rate among unvaccinated NFL staff was seven times higher than the positive test rate among vaccinated staff, according to the league.
Newton was out of the Patriots for five days last week because of what the team called a “misunderstanding” of the COVID-19 protocol. He missed three workouts during this stretch, allowing rookie Mac Jones to take control of the team.
The Patriots had revealed that Newton had undergone daily testing at the time, all negative. Under NFL-NFLPA protocols, Level 1 and Level 2 people, including all players, are exempt from daily testing if they have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Newton had never confirmed his vaccination status, saying it was personal.
On Tuesday, Jaguars coach Urban Meyer said he and general manager Trent Baalke took into account a player’s vaccination status during the final cuts to the roster.
Meyer said it was considered because of the stricter COVID-19 protocols imposed on unvaccinated players who test positive or are identified as high-risk close contacts compared to protocols for vaccinated players.
Meyer’s comments didn’t go well with the NFL Players Association. George Atallah, the NFLPA’s executive deputy director of foreign affairs, told ESPN by email that Meyer’s statements “have led us to open an investigation.”
Of the decision to go with Jones over Newton, Belichick called it a “very competitive situation.”
“Both players had almost an equal number of replays in total between practice and games, until the spring,” he said.
“I have a lot of respect for him as a player. A lot of respect for him as a human being,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “I think he did everything he could to ask him to try to help us win and help us prepare this year for improvement. And for that I’m very grateful and grateful for all the things he did, all the work that Posar did. “