The New England Patriots have experienced their first Covid-19 cases. A potentially dangerous situation started when quarterback Cam Newton was tested positive on Friday before the team’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The NFL responded by postponing the contest, but it appears the decision has not helped slow down the spread within the organization: more players have been moved to the Reserve/Covid-19 list after Newton.
Over the next few weeks, seven more players joined the Patriots’ QB1 on the Coronavirus list — one that currently looks as follows:
- N/A
The following players, meanwhile, have been removed from the list:
- QB Cam Newton
- CB Stephon Gilmore
- DT Bill Murray
- DT Byron Cowart
- C James Ferentz
- G Shaq Mason
- RB Sony Michel
- LB Derek Rivers
- WR Julian Edelman
- DT Isaiah Mack
- TE Jordan Thomas
In order to not get lost among all the news coming in, we have created this tracker to keep you up-to-date on all the latest developments and rumors about the Patriots and the ongoing Coronavirus situation.
December 26
- Jordan Thomas gets placed on the Reserve/Covid-19 list
Just one day after New England placed Isaiah Mack on the Coronavirus reserve list, Jordan Thomas joined him there. The tight end had already been ruled out for the upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills due to not-injury related reasons, but now has been moved off the active roster.
December 25
- Isaiah Mack gets placed on the Reserve/Covid-19 list
Two weeks after Julian Edelman was removed from the Coronavirus reserve list, New England sent another player there: practice squad defensive tackle Isaiah Mack was placed there.
December 10
- Julian Edelman gets activated from the Reserve/Covid-19 list
Not quite two weeks before sending him to their Coronavirus reserve list, the Patriots were able to activate wide receiver Julian Edelman again. However, the veteran did not rejoin New England’s 53-man roster yet, and instead remains on injured reserve
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November 30
- Julian Edelman gets placed on the Reserve/Covid-19 list
After a month without any Coronavirus-related news, the Patriots had another run-in with the pandemic: veteran wide receiver Julian Edelman was sent to the Covid-19 reserve list — being sent there directly from injured reserve, where the 34-year-old was moved to in late October following a knee surgery.
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October 31
- Sony Michel is removed from the Reserve/Covid-19 list
Veteran running back Sony Michel has been removed from the Patriots’ Reserve/Covid-19 list. Even though he remains on injured reserve for the time being, this move is a positive one as it empties the list: New England, at least for the time being, is Coronavirus free.
October 28
- James Ferentz is removed from the Reserve/Covid-19
Only one player remains on the Patriots’ Coronavirus list after offensive lineman James Ferentz has now been removed from it. The backup blocker was sent to Reserve/Covid-19 12 days ago after testing positive for the virus.
October 21
- Three Patriots return from the Reserve/Covid-19 list
New England moved five players to their Coronavirus reserve list over the last two weekends, and three — all but running back Sony Michel and offensive lineman James Ferentz — are now back as well: guard Shaq Mason, defensive tackle Byron Cowart and linebacker Derek Rivers have returned to practice and are now officially good to go again.
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October 17
- Patriots’ Reserve/Covid-19 list grows by three more players
After already sending offensive lineman James Ferentz to the list on Friday, New England added three more players one day later: running back Sony Michel was moved there from injured reserve, with guard Shaq Mason and linebacker Derek Rivers joining him on the list. Michel has tested positive, with Mason and Rivers being placed on the list as a precautionary measure.
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October 16
- Patriots cancel practice as James Ferentz tests positive for the Coronavirus
After an encouraging week, the Patriots had another setback on Friday: offensive lineman James Ferentz tested positive for the Coronavirus, leading New England to cancel practice as a cautionary move. The upcoming game against Denver, meanwhile, will continue to be played as planned — for the time being, that is.
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October 15
- Cam Newton, Stephon Gilmore, Bill Murray return to practice
The Patriots were back on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Thursday. The session was notable because it saw the return of three players that previously spent time on New England’s Reserve/Covid-19 list after having tested positive for the Coronavirus: quarterback Cam Newton, cornerback Stephon Gilmore and defensive tackle Bill Murray all took the field and are now off the list.
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October 14
- Patriots players return to Gillette Stadium
New England’s players were back at the team facility on Wednesday after a series of all-negative tests led to the clearance.
- Cam Newton removed from Reserve/Covid-19 list
The Patriots’ starting quarterback is set to finally rejoin the rest of the team: Newton was officially removed from the Coronavirus reserve list, after already becoming eligible following a 10-day period that saw him not show any symptoms associated with Covid-19. He appears to be on track to start New England’s game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
October 13
- Patriots have no new Covid-19 cases for a second straight day
After having no positive tests on Sunday, the team also did not have any during Monday’s round of testing. Players are still not back in the building, with Wednesday being the target date for a return — pending no news Coronavirus cases, of course.
October 12
- Patriots have no new positives during Sunday’s round of testing
Following Byron Cowart’s positive test, the team did not have any other additional positives over the weekend. Players, meanwhile, remain away from the team’s facilities through at least Tuesday.
October 11
- NFL to shut down Patriots’ facility again, leaving game against Denver in question
The Patriots are in the Coronavirus spotlight once again: according to reports, the league has decided to shut down the team’s facilities for a third time in the last 10 days. The upcoming game against Denver is very much in question at this point in time.
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- Patriots reportedly have a new positive Coronavirus case
After three days without any new positive tests, the Patriots have received another one on Sunday morning stemming from Saturday’s round of testing. While the player in question has not been identified yet, this latest development is obviously discouraging.
- Patriots-Broncos moved to next Sunday
Following another positive Covid-19 test in New England, the NFL has decided to move the Patriots’ game against the Broncos from this Monday to next Sunday.
- Defensive tackle Byron Cowart reportedly is the Patriots’ new Covid-19 case
While initial reports did not specify who New England’s fourth positive Coronavirus case was, the player in question has been identified as second-year defensive tackle Byron Cowart. As is the case with the other players who tested positive, his return will depend on whether or not he develops any symptoms associated with the virus.
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October 10
- No new positives from Friday’s round of testing
For the third day in a row, New England did not get back any positive Covid-19 tests — another encouraging development.
- Patriots return to practice
After closing the facilities after Stephon Gilmore’s positive Coronavirus test, the Patriots returned to practice to start on-field preparations for the upcoming game against the Denver Broncos.
October 9
- Patriots have second straight day with all-negative Coronavirus tests
After already having no positive Covid-19 tests on Wednesday, Thursday’s round of tests also came back all-clear. While the Patriots will continue to work remotely on Friday, the latest round of test results is a positive development for the team — and a good sign that the game against Denver will take place on Monday, as was announced by the NFL.
October 8
- Patriots get back no positive tests on Wednesday
After Stephon Gilmore tested positive the previous day, the Patriots did get some positive news on Wednesday: all of the Covid-19 tests administered that day came back negative. This is certainly a good sign for the team, and its upcoming game against the Denver Broncos.
- Patriots-Broncos moved from Sunday to Monday
The NFL has announced that New England’s game versus Denver was moved back one day due to the Patriots’ Coronavirus situation. Instead of being played at 4:25 pm on Sunday, the game will now take place on Monday, 5 pm ET.
October 7
- Stephon Gilmore tests positive for Covid-19
After starting quarterback Cam Newton was tested positive for the novel Coronavirus last Friday night, the Patriots now have a second confirmed case within the organization: star 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.
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- Stephon Gilmore reportedly remains asymptomatic
Just like Cam Newton, Stephon Gilmore has also not shown any Coronavirus symptoms immediately following his positive test.
- Stephon Gilmore officially placed on Reserve/Covid-19
As expected following his positive Coronavirus test, the Patriots’ star cornerback has officially been moved to the newly created Reserve/Covid-19 list. If he remains asymptomatic, he will be allowed to come off the list after producing two negative tests with 24 hours in between.
October 6
- No new positive tests after the trip to Kansas City
The Patriots underwent a meticulous testing schedule before and after their game against the Chiefs. The tests taken before the flight back home, however, were all returned negative.
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- Bill Murray becomes second Patriot to be placed on Reserve/Covid-19 list
According to the NFL’s official transactions wire, the Patriots have sent rookie defensive tackle Bill Murray to Practice Squad/Reserve/Covid-19 — joining quarterback Cam Newton as the team’s lone two players on the special Coronavirus list. There is no telling whether or not Murray has also been infected based on the current facts: Reserve/Covid-19 is not just for players who have caught the virus, after all, but also for those who have been in close contact with infected people.
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October 5
- Patriots to take two planes to Kansas City
With Cam Newton testing positive, the Patriots have decided to take two planes to Kansas City for their game against the Chiefs. Those who have been in close contact with the quarterback — a group of approximately 20 people — were placed on a single plane, with the rest of the team on another.
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- NFL reportedly investigating the Patriots after Cam Newton’s positive test
Cam Newton’s positive Covid-19 test has triggered a league investigation into the Patriots: the NFL launched a process to find out whether or not the organization has complied with Coronavirus protocols before Newton’s positive test results were delivered late on Friday. The Patriots are not the first team to be investigated in light of a player testing positive for the virus.
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October 4
- No new positive tests in New England
Following Cam Newton’s positive test, no member of the Patriots tested positive on Saturday. The team’s facilities, meanwhile, remain closed through at least Sunday to help combat the spread of the virus.
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- Patriots-Chiefs moved to Sunday in light of no new positives
With the Patriots and Chiefs having no new positive Coronavirus tests on Sunday morning, the NFL decides to move the two teams’ matchup from Sunday to Monday night, 7:05 pm. To meet the schedule, New England will have to fly to Kansas City and back on the same day as the game — a violation of the NFL’s rules, but one deemed necessary in this scenario.
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- Cam Newton releases a first statement since his positive Covid-19 test
The Patriots quarterback took to social media to share his thoughts on the situation, and to thank his fans for the support he has received: “I appreciate all the love, support and well wishes!”
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- Cam Newton reportedly not showing any symptoms
Despite his positive Coronavirus test, the Patriots’ quarterback is reportedly asymptomatic as of Sunday. If he does not develop any symptoms such as a fever, dry cough or tiredness, and if he is tested negative twice with 24 hours in between, there is a chance that he will come off the Reserve/Covid-19 list during the upcoming week.
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October 3
- Quarterback Cam Newton has tested positive for Covid-19
After having no run-ins with the Coronavirus since players returned to team facilities in mid-July, the Patriots received their first positive test late on October 2 with the team officially making an announcing the following day: starting quarterback Cam Newton has tested positive. The Patriots react by sending players, closing their team facilities and canceling their scheduled flight to Kansas City on Saturday morning.
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- Patriots’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs gets postponed
With the Patriots and the Chiefs — practice squad quarterback Jordan Ta’amu — receiving positive tests on Friday and Saturday, the league decides to postpone the upcoming contest between the two that was originally scheduled for Sunday.
- Patriots place Cam Newton on Reserve/Covid-19 list
Following his positive Coronavirus test, the Patriots move Newton from their active roster to the newly created Reserve/Covid-19 list. He will be out at least five days, and possibly longer, depending on whether or not he is developing symptoms associated with the virus.