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Cam Newton on being cut by Patriots: 'I have a lot of football still in me'

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – We haven’t heard from Cam Newton in a while. The veteran quarterback didn’t speak to the media after he missed three days of Patriots practice due to what the team called a "misunderstanding" of COVID-19 rules. Newton was scheduled to speak last week but was released after losing the quarterback competition to rookie Mac Jones.

It appears that we’ll finally hear Newton’s thoughts on what transpired.

On Wednesday, the quarterback posted a video on Instagram teasing a “Funky Friday” video that will be posted this Friday.

“On this week’s Funky Friday, I have a lot of things I need to get off my chest,” Newton said. “This is not a retirement speech and I have a lot of football still in me.”

Newton has been posting “Funky Friday” videos on his Instagram account this offseason, so it isn’t new. The last one he posted was on Aug. 27. In this video, Newton received a haircut while talking about different life topics.

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Rhamondre Stevenson suffers thumb injury in run-up to Dolphins

The Patriots will release their first injury report on Wednesday night, but we already know that the team is dealing with at least one injured player on the offensive end. According to The Athletic, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a disclosed thumb during a practice last week.

There is optimism that the running back should be OK to play in the Patriots regular-season opener against the Miami Dolphins. That report was backed up by Stevenson’s presence at Patriots practice on Wednesday.

Stevenson had a phenomenal training camp. He led the Patriots with 217 yards (on 7.2 yards per carry) and five touchdowns in three preseason games. The performance made someone like veteran Sony Michel expendable and that’s part of the reason why Michel was traded to Los Angeles.

Although Stevenson isn’t expected to start – Damien Harris will fill that role – the rookie was expected to provide solid depth in a competitive Patriots running back room. If the rookie can’t play this weekend, the Pats will still have James White, J.J. Taylor and Brandon Bolden on the roster.

Aug 19, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) carries the ball against Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Michael Jacquet (38) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
Aug 19, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) carries the ball against Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Michael Jacquet (38) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.

Patriots have perfect practice attendance

The Patriots are starting the 2020 season off on a healthy note.

The Pats had perfect practice attendance on Wednesday. The media watched around 20 minutes of practice. It was noteworthy that none of the players on the 53-man left the practice field after warm-ups. Of course, we’ll get a better sense of the overall health once the Patriots release their first practice report later today.

Brandon Bolden had been a limited practice participant up to this week. However, the veteran running back shed his red non-contact jersey. The only player (aside from the quarterbacks) wearing a red non-contact jersey was practice squad cornerback D’Angelo Ross.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cam Newton says 'I have a lot of football still in me' after being cut