Is Cam Newton vaccinated? New England Patriots QB out until Thursday due to “misunderstanding” about COVID-19 tests

The New England Patriots are facing a tough break right in the middle of their quarterback competition.

After a great exhibition from both quarterbacks in week two of preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cam Newton will miss practice until August 26 owing to the COVID-19 protocols for the 2021 season.

According to a statement from the Patriots, Newton had a medical appointment on Saturday and left Boston to do so. However, New England thought that since this was a club-approved appointment, Newton wouldn't have to submit himself to the five-day entry cadence.

Statement from the Patriots on Cam Newton, who will be back in the club facility on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/z6hHmg65YS

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 23, 2021

The main takeaway from this situation is that all of this is only happening because Cam Newton isn't vaccinated. Had he taken the shot, Newton wouldn't have had to miss practice or submit himself to the five-day quarantine as his daily tests were all negative.

Newton will return to practice on Thursday if everything goes well, but missing time with the organization in such a close battle could hurt his chances of starting Week 1.

Can Mac Jones leapfrog Cam Newton in the depth chart?

It's a real possibility, and with Newton out until August 26, Jones could start Week 1 if he puts together a string of good practices. After all, the rookie has been surprisingly good during OTAs and training camp, and his play in the preseason has been positive as well.

Cam Newton in the 1st Quarter: 🔹8-9🔹103 yards🔹1 TD pic.twitter.com/cmN93gE4ux

— PFF (@PFF) August 20, 2021

Bill Belichick made it clear that it's open competition from the start, and after Newton's amazing performance against the Eagles in Week 2, it seemed like he was at the front entering the deciding week. With the veteran out, the rookie could make his case with three straight practices with the first-team offense.

This statement suggests Newton is unvaccinated. If that is, in fact, the case, it is a clear example of how being unvaccinated is a competitive disadvantage to an individual player as well as to his team. https://t.co/tQ2LPno9lL

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) August 23, 2021

Are any other NFL quarterbacks unvaccinated?

The NFL doesn't produce an actual track record about which quarterbacks took the vaccine and which didn't, citing it as a personal choice, but some names have become obvious owing to the COVID-19 protocols in place.

Indianapolis Colts v Minnesota Vikings

Kirk Cousins and Lamar Jackson, for instance, have already missed practice time because of their stance related to the vaccine. Carson Wentz also hasn't taken the vaccine, citing "a personal decision." Cousins and Jackson went down the same road when asked about whether they received the first jab.

This brings us back to the repercussions of giving the shot a miss. As the franchise quarterbacks on their teams, guys like Newton, Cousins, Jackson and Wentz ideally should have made a pretty easy decision. If they keep themselves unvaccinated, though, the chances of them hurting their teams during the regular season are really high.