Update 10/7/2020: Patriots officially place Stephon Gilmore on Reserve/Covid-19
As is the case with every player to test positive for the Coronavirus, Stephon Gilmore also had to be moved to the newly created Reserve/Covid-19 list. This move was made official on Wednesday afternoon: per the NFL’s official transactions wire, the Patriots have now sent Gilmore to the list — opening up another spot on their 53-man roster in return. New England now has three open spots heading into Week 5.
Update 10/7/2020: Patriots will work remotely at least Wednesday and Thursday
Following Stephon Gilmore’s positive Coronavirus test, the Patriots have closed their facilities and will reportedly work remotely at least two days: according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, players and coaches will work from home over the next two days. Accordingly, the team will not start its on-field preparation for the game against the Denver Broncos until Friday at the earliest.
Update 10/7/2020: Stephon Gilmore is reportedly asymptomatic after his positive Covid-19 test
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Gilmore remains asymptomatic as of Wednesday morning. Him showing symptoms or not might have an impact on his eventual return to the team.
Update 10/7/2020: NFL still plans to have Patriots play in Week 5
The Patriots will take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but Stephon Gilmore’s positive test has cast some doubt over the game. The league, however, is apparently taking a wait-and-see approach: as first reported by Mike Klis of 9News in Colorado, the game “is still on” as of Wednesday morning.
Update 10/7/2020: Stephon Gilmore one of the Patriots in close contact with Cam Newton
According to a report by Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper, Stephon Gilmore was one of the people to have been in close contact with Cam Newton, who himself was tested positive on Friday night. Accordingly, the star cornerback was among the approximately 20 members of the organization to take their own plane from New England to Kansas City on Monday.
Original story 10/7/2020: Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore has tested positive for Covid-19
After starting quarterback Cam Newton was tested positive for the novel Coronavirus last Friday night, the New England Patriots now have a second confirmed case within the organization: as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, cornerback Stephon Gilmore has also tested positive for Covid-19 and will be placed on the Reserve/Covid-19 list as a result — joining Newton and practice squad defensive tackle Bill Murray.
As a result of Gilmore’s positive test, the Patriots have decided to cancel their practice on Wednesday. Whether or not the game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday will be impacted by the case remains to be seen, but the NFL will likely prefer to play the contest unless further positive cases emerge. Tuesday’s round of testing, however, has revealed only one player to have caught the virus: Gilmore.
While the football implications of the diagnosis are obviously massive — Gilmore is the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and New England’s top cornerback — his health and that of the other Patriots players and staff members is the most important thing at the moment. While two positive cases and a third player on Reserve/Covid-19 is not necessarily an outbreak like the one in Tennessee, the situation is obviously worrisome.