Cam Newton Injury Update: Latest on Patriots QB’s Abdominal Issue

If you were hoping for Cam Newton to be absent from the New England Patriots‘ injury report on Thursday, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the 2015 NFL MVP was still limited at practice because of an abdomen injury.

Newton did speak to the media and seems like he’ll be good to go on Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, but here’s a little bit of insight into his current status and more.

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Newton Gives an Update on His Status

Newton was asked how his injury was coming along. After a pause, he said, “I’m feeling as good as I should be feeling.”

According to Newton, he’s still undergoing treatment on his injury, but one question is lingering even more now than on Wednesday when the physical issue was first revealed to the public. How long has the injury been bothering Newton and was it the cause of his play on Sunday in the win over the Arizona Cardinals?

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Was Newton Hurt Prior to or During the Week 12 Win over the Cardinals?

Newton had arguably his worst game of the year against Cardinals. He was far more inaccurate (9-for-18 for 84 yards) than he was in the previous game–a loss to the Houston Texans–that saw him complete 26 of 40 throws for 365 yards and a beautiful touchdown pass to Damiere Byrd.

While many have blasted Newton and called for the Patriots to bench him after Sunday’s game, many of those same people were singing his praises just a week earlier when he was putting the ball on the money to receivers–namely Byrd who had a career day.

Does it make sense that a healthy Newton went from being as accurate as he had been against the Texans to missing as often as he did against the Cardinals?

It’s possible, but far more likely Newton suffered an injury either during the practices leading up to the game against the Cardinals, or possibly early in the contest.

If you’re looking for a spot when Newton might have been injured against the Cardinals, look no further than the first pass he threw in that game. Running back James White, who is almost always solid in every area, admittedly missed a blitz pickup, which allowed a blitzing Cardinals linebacker to have a free shot at Newton.

While Newton got the pass off, it went flopping into the air as he was hit as he threw, and it was picked off. The shot was a legitimately hard one and definitely could have been the cause of the abdomen injury. At the very least, it might have worsened something that had been nagging all season long.

There’s also a chance the injury happened on the controversial hit he took from Isaiah Simmons in the fourth quarter that led to the Patriots’ victory.

Because injury history was a constant topic of conversation and a favorite target area for Newton’s critics, it’s understandable the quarterback would want to be as short as possible when talking about a potential problem.

Nonetheless, if he isn’t healthy, he may not be helping the Patriots perform at their best on Sunday. Keep an eye on him in Friday’s practice. Chances are he remains limited, but barring a major setback, he should be active for Sunday’s clash with the Chargers.

Also Read:

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• Patriots Sign Former Bucs LB to Free-Agent Deal
• Patriots Are a Potential Landing Spot For Former No. 1 Pick: Report
• Patriots Sign Inspirational Free-Agent Safety
• Josh McDaniels Has Blunt Assessment of Struggling WR’s Performance

 

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