Getty Cam Newton
The New England Patriots and Cam Newton might have been dealt a bit of a setback during OTAs.
On Friday, Newton suffered a hand injury that forced him to stop practicing, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, who tweeted: “Cam Newton didn’t finish practice, as an athletic trainer and doctor were looking at his right hand about halfway through the workout. Patriots QBs were working on a drill in which a soft pad is tossed at them and the pad appeared to make contact with his hand on follow-through.”
Hours after practice ended, we got an update. Newton didn’t suffer a break, per the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian, but the team was still running tests to assess any damage.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Newton’s injury was considered minor, and called a slight bone bruise.
#Patriots QB Cam Newton suffered a slight bone bruise today at practice, banging his hand on a helmet, source said. Not considered major at all, but since it’s the Spring, we may not see much more of him until training camp.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe offered some perspective from the practice. He was among the first to suggest Newton might have hit his hand on someone’s helmet.
Howe wrote:
During that 11-on-11 period, the pass rush was consistently in the backfield, although Newton didn’t show any visible signs of discomfort following any of his four reps. But during the positional period, coaches threw blocking pads at the quarterbacks to simulate pressure. Newton took one rep in that period then went to meet with the medical staff on the sideline, and he was in visible discomfort at one point when they examined his hand. Newton was repeatedly checking for swelling near the knuckle at the base of his index finger – several times comparing it to the same spot on his left hand – either on the knuckle itself or the bridge of the hand between the finger and thumb. He then returned to the field behind the drill and gripped a ball for about a minute before heading back to the medical staff on the sideline. He buckled over in pain at one point during that examination. At that point, it became clear Newton was done for the day. He again returned to the field and took a knee behind the drill.
According to Howe, Patriots owner Robert Kraft came onto the practice field, fist-bumped Newton. The veteran quarterback then watched the remainder of practice.
How Did the Patriots Finish Practice?
Newton had been taking all of the QB1 reps through the other days, but after he was injured, third-year pro Jarrett Stidham and rookie Mac Jones shared the responsibility.
Both players had their good points, according to multiple observers. Although, according to Howe, Stidham won the day with his accuracy and decisiveness.
The team has an off day on Saturday, so we’ll have to wait to see what happens with Newton’s hand the rest of the way. However, this isn’t considered to be anything too serious.
Will There Be Any Long-Term Effects?
Rest and some treatment are likely to be in the cards. While it could be a setback for Newton, this shouldn’t be the same as 2020 when he caught COVID ,and couldn’t be around the team for an extended period.
Newton will be at practice and if he has to sit out for any reason, he’ll be chomping at the bit to get involved.
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