New England's intriguing quarterback situation just got a little less optimistic.
Cam Newton suffered a slight bone bruise in his right hand during OTAs on Friday after banging it on a helmet, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The injury is not considered serious but could limit his participation in the Patriots' on-field work until training camp, Rapoport added.
Newton exited the session to spend considerable time with trainer Jim Whelan and one of the team doctors, per NFL Network's Mike Giardi. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels also checked in on the veteran before returning to work with the other three Pats quarterbacks. Newton later took a knee and watched his teammates participate in drills.
We've learned in recent years how an unfortunate collision between throwing hand and headgear can cause issues for quarterbacks. Last season, it happened to Jared Goff late in the season, forcing the Rams to turn to backup John Wolford before Goff was able to return in the postseason.
Luckily, it's only June, which means he could be out of next week's minicamp but has ample time to recover before training camp.
As for the other big name under center, Mac Jones, he might not be at 100 percent, either. Jones was uneven in his play Friday and was wearing a sleeve on his right calf, which appeared to bother him on a couple of occasions, Giardi reported.
A day after McDaniels fielded questions regarding both signal-callers and spoke about the importance of using this time to lay a foundation, we've received less-than-encouraging reports on the two. Again, though, it's only June. We'll monitor their status before starting to become concerned.
