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It seems like Cam Newton’s decision to not get vaccinated apparently played a part in the Patriots cutting ties with him.
On Tuesday morning it was reported that the Patriots had released Newton and will start rookie Mac Jones at QB.
BREAKING NEWS: The #Patriots have released Cam Newton. Mac Jones is the starting QB in New England. https://t.co/3qE1qu6xqC
— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) August 31, 2021
The news comes a week after Newton was forced to sit out 5 games due to a “misunderstanding” about tests conducted away from NFL facilities for unvaccinated players.
#Patriots QB Cam Newton isn’t at practice because of what the team called a “misunderstanding” about tests conducted away from the facility. Only unvaccinated players are subject to daily testing, and this indicates he fell out of the testing cadence. Statement: pic.twitter.com/UDjBUF9Gyq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 23, 2021
According to various reports, the Patriots were annoyed about Cam’s unvaccinated situation and it played into their decision to cut him.
There wasn't just one reason that Cam Newton is gone. It was a combination of at least three, I'm told: Mac Jones' emergence, Newton's vaccination stance (which caused a bit of a stir behind the scenes) and Cam's uninspiring performance this summer.
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 31, 2021
A couple of factors in play with releasing Cam Newton rather than keeping him on as the Patriots' backup: His command of the locker room, and his vaccination status. Neither make him an ideal choice as a backup behind a rookie QB.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 31, 2021
Maybe Cam Newton will land somewhere that is comfortable with his current vaccination status.