The New England Patriots didn’t get hit hard in terms of numbers with positive COVID-19 tests, but they were hit with two of the team’s best players.
Cam Newton contracted the virus before the Patriots’ Week 4 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs and Stephon Gilmore contracted it before the Week 5 matchup, that eventually got postponed. Both players are the most instrumental pieces on each side of the ball and they both fortunately turned out to be asymptomatic.
Because Newton’s passed the ten-day period of showing symptoms, he should theoretically be good to go for practice. Bill Belichick explained that players who are asymptomatic could still play while testing positive. Newton and Gilmore may continue to test positive.
Belichick spoke to reporters on Tuesday and didn’t directly say the two stars could return to practice on Wednesday.
“Yeah, I’m not exactly sure what the schedule is in terms of when those guys [Newton and Gilmore] will do the things they need to do,” Belichick said, transcribed by WEEI. “Again, some of that’s has to be scheduled outside of the building and so forth. So I’ll leave that to the medical department. I don’t know exactly what their schedule is.”
He did say the Patriots are on track to play this Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
