FOXBORO, Mass. — Several important New England Patriots players were absent from the team’s latest practice, including their likely starting quarterback.
Cam Newton headlined a lengthy list of players missing from Monday’s fully padded practice, the majority of which was closed to reporters.
It was the first absence of the summer for Newton, who appeared to take a commanding lead over fellow starting QB hopefuls Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer in training camp.
Newton was excused from practice, according to reports from Jeff Howe of The Athletic and ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Though Newton has received the majority of quarterback reps since early in camp, head coach Bill Belichick declined Monday morning to officially name a starter.