N'Keal Harry set the record straight on his trainer's recent controversial comments.
Harry's trainer, Rischad Whitfield, was quoted in a recent story by Henry McKenna of Patriots Wire stating Cam Newton was partly to blame for Harry's lack of production. Whitfield has since claimed he was misquoted.
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Regardless, Harry wants to make it clear he was not the one behind those quotes. The New England Patriots wide receiver said Thursday he had a chat with his quarterback to clear the air.
“Yeah, I just let (Newton) know, I just made sure he knew that whatever was said — I don’t know what was said — but nothing came from me,” Harry told reporters. “Rischad hasn’t said anything like that to me. It doesn’t sound to me like something — that exact statement is something he would say. I don’t know if it was taken out of context or what happened, but I don’t know. That conversation never came from me and it was never anything that I was even aware of until I saw it on social media.”
The second-year wideout went on to praise Newton for his leadership this season.
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“He's been great,” Harry added. “I said it earlier in the season. He’s really gone out of his way and really made a conscious effort to make sure that he’s doing everything he can to help me and just kind of mentoring me throughout this whole season. He’s been a huge help to me up to this point.”
Through 11 games this year, Harry has 29 receptions for 277 yards and two touchdowns. While those aren't exactly eye-popping numbers, it's worth noting the 23-year-old has shown some real progress over the last couple of weeks.
He'll look to build on that progress Sunday when the Patriots visit the Miami Dolphins for a Week 15 matchup.