Cam Newton wasn't at New England Patriots practice Monday.
NFL Network's Mike Giardi reported that Newton's absence was excused, per a source informed of the situation.
The reason for the excused absence is not yet clear.
ESPN first reported the news.
Newton has been getting the most reps during practice as Jarrett Stidham deals with a hip injury.
While Newton was not present at Monday's practice, he has made the most of his first impression on his new team. Bill Belichick used part of a Monday interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio to talk up the quarterback for the second time in a less than 10 days.
"I can see why he had the kind of success he had at Auburn and Carolina," Belichick said. "Talking to people who were with him there, the things they said about him at Auburn and at Carolina from a decade ago or 2-3 years ago or even last year, it's all the same, and it showed up here: He's an extremely hard worker. Nobody works harder than Cam does. He's here early, he stays late and he works very hard. Some players like to work on things they're good at, like if you're strong on the bench press you just throw more weight on the bench. But Cam works on things he's not at good at and tries to improve on a daily basis and that's something I really respect about him."
If Newton's absence is a one-day affair, it shouldn't hinder his ability to earn the Patriots starting gig. With less than two weeks until the season opener, however, if he misses more time, doubts could creep up.
