Report: ‘Possible, but not likely’ Patriots QB Cam Newton plays against the Denver Broncos

Beer me. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, the chances that Cam Newton can clear the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol in time for Sunday’s mid-afternoon with what’s left of the Denver Broncos are looking extremely slim.

This is as much uncharted territory for us staff here at the Pulpit as it is for football fans all over the world, so, here’s the update on SuperCam that Rapsheet shared on Tuesday night’s NFL Total Access show in full:

As always, here’s a transcription in case you’re stuck in a Zoom meeting and/or forgot your headphones.

“Well, Bill Belichick was asked about that today, would not discuss who his quarterback was going to be until they found out ‘is Cam Newton going to be available?’ Presumably though, if Newton was not it’d be Jarrett Stidham. He finished the game there for the Patriots. But as far as Newton’s status, he is still on the COVID-19 Reserve List and my understanding is he has not yet had symptoms. That would mean, presumably, he would be able to get cleared after a minimum of 5 days, potentially making him available for Sunday against the Broncos.”

And just when you thought maybe we could have nice things....

“The complicating factor here is based on these protocols. He would need to have 2 negative tests, back to back, in order to clear the COVID-19 list and become active again. Based on my understanding of where things stand, including when he got the virus and how long it would take it to leave his system, it is considered far-fetched for him to get cleared in time for the game. It is possible, but not likely, which means we could see Jarrett Stidham again for New England on Sunday.”

Obviously, priority #1 here is keeping the team safe and making sure Cam is completely in the clear before he rejoins the rest of the squad, but, purely from a football fan perspective, this is certainly not the news we wanted to hear.

We’ll keep you updated if and when any more news becomes available.