New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss New England’s upcoming Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
This is the first reported positive test from a member of the Patriots organization since the league returned to action with enhanced COVID-19 testing protocols in place.
Kansas City practice squad quarterback Jordan Ta’Amu has also tested positive. Both Newton and Ta’Amu have been placed on the reserve/COVID list.
With players from each team having tested positive, both the Chiefs and Pats have been forced to close their facilities and research other people the two quarterbacks have been around. The NFL will take over on a day-by-day process to determine when the Patriots will faceoff with the Chiefs, according to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network.
The NFL has announced that the game will be played either Monday or Tuesday, but ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter, “Tuesday is more likely.”
There have not been any more positive tests for the Patriots or Chiefs since the news has broken, but players are all aware of the situation.
This news comes after the Tennessee Titans have totaled 16 positive tests from players and team members. All positive tests have come this week.
Newton has played well for New England this season leading them to a 2-1 record through the first three games of the season. While Newton only has two passing touchdowns, he has rushed for four. The 2015 MVP doesn’t have the fancy passing numbers, but he has completed a career best 68.1% of his passes.
Patriots’ backup quarterback Brian Hoyer will likely get the start with Newton out. While Hoyer has been with New England for several years, this would be his first career start for the Patriots and 39th overall in his career.
Given Hoyer’s familiarity with the team and coaching staff, the transition to the 34-year-old should be fairly simple for the Patriots.
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