Newton out 5 days after 'misunderstanding' with COVID-19 tests

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton will be away from his team's facility until Thursday due to the NFL's COVID-19 protocols, the Patriots announced Monday.

Newton left the New England area Saturday to attend a team-approved medical appointment. The signal-caller has since received daily COVID-19 tests that produced negative results, but he's subject to a five-day re-entry process before returning to practice due to a "misunderstanding" regarding tests conducted away from NFL facilities, the team said.

Only fully vaccinated players are exempt from daily re-entry testing, according to the league's updated protocols.

Here is the language from the NFL-NFLPA COVID protocols regarding re-entry testing, which only applies to players and staff who aren't fully vaccinated and aren't exempted by a previous positive test: pic.twitter.com/oG3FEAs2fc

- Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 23, 2021

Newton refused to reveal his vaccination status earlier at training camp, adding it was a personal matter.

The 32-year-old, who will continue participating in team activities virtually, is coming off a solid preseason outing against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. His absence at practice means first-round rookie passer Mac Jones will get more first-team snaps.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has said multiple times during the offseason that Newton is still New England's starting quarterback despite Jones' arrival. However, Newton recently said Belichick hasn't said anything to him about his status ahead of the season opener.

New England is set to practice with the New York Giants this week, with the first joint session scheduled for Wednesday. The Patriots open their 2021 season at home against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 12.

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