FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton had his throwing hand examined by the athletic training and medical staff about halfway through the voluntary organized team activity on Friday and didn’t participate in the rest of practice.
Newton was seen flexing his right hand at times. He stayed on the field to watch the remainder of practice, with first-round draft pick Mac Jones, third-year player Jarrett Stidham and veteran Brian Hoyer taking the quarterback repetitions in his place.
In Newton’s final drill of practice, quarterbacks were working on avoiding the pass rush, and to do so, they had to evade a soft bag tossed in their direction. It’s possible one of the bags hit Newton’s hand on his follow-through, although it was unclear if that was specifically what sidelined him.
Newton was visited by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and veteran receiver Nelson Agholor, among others, as he watched the rest of practice. Owner Robert Kraft also had a chat with Newton.
After practice, Agholor was asked what he saw when Newton showed him his hand. He said: “I’ll let Cam speak on that.”
Asked how much the Patriots miss Newton’s energy and presence at practice when he is sidelined, Agholor said: “He’s still around. He still talks to the wide receivers, talks to his teammates. You still feel him, man. That’s why he’s a great teammate.”
Friday was the Patriots’ sixth voluntary OTA, and Newton has been participating from the start of the offseason. On Thursday, McDaniels had noted how Newton has a “different grasp of the offense” in his second year with the team, a result of being able to take part in his first full offseason in New England.
When the Patriots selected Jones 15th overall in this year’s NFL draft, coach Bill Belichick made it clear that Newton was still the starter.
“Cam’s our quarterback,” Belichick said at the time. “Whatever position, whatever time Jarrett or Mac are ready to challenge and compete, then we’ll see how that goes.”