Patriots Rumors: Cam Newton may not miss much time with coronavirus
By Jerry Trotta
Patriots quarterback Cam Newton might not miss much time following his bombshell COVID-19 diagnosis.
The Patriots’ upcoming task to topple the Chiefs in Arrowhead became extraordinarily more difficult after quarterback Cam Newton shockingly tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday morning.
At first, there was concern the game would have to be postponed to another week, but both teams got back a slate of negative tests and the NFL is now planning to hold the game on Monday night, a little more than 24 hours after its originally scheduled kickoff.
That’s a pretty remarkable turnaround for the league as a whole, considering the contagious nature of COVID-19, and the latest rumors indicate that the Patriots could be on the receiving end of some good fortune themselves.
FOX Sports insider Jay Glazer revealed during Sunday’s pregame show that Newton is symptom free, which could help him return to the field as soon as Week 5 so long as he delivers back-to-back negative tests in the coming days.
'Asymptomatic' Cam Newton could play for Patriots in Week 5 https://t.co/rKc8EpEbGt pic.twitter.com/e6hbQASszi
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) October 4, 2020
“We just don’t know when those negative tests are going to happen,” said Glazer. “If it happens later on this week, he could possibly be available next weekend.”
This is obviously an open-ended report from Glazer, but it should undoubtedly lift the spirits up Patriots fans, who are likely a bit downtrodden heading into Monday’s matchup versus the defending champions now that Newton isn’t available.
The Patriots are slated to face a banged up Broncos side in Week 5 before they enter their bye week, so Newton may want to sit out that game as a precaution, too, as long as Brian Hoyer shows off some sort of rapport in Monday’s game.
Patriots will travel to Kansas City with two planes: One will carry roughly 20 people who had close contact with Cam Newton, and the other will carry everyone else https://t.co/9LwVbnw7S7
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 4, 2020
Still, the three-time Pro Bowler has been dealing so far this season. Getting him back on the field as soon as humanly possible to keep the momentum going has to be the top priority of Bill Belichick and the rest of the coaching staff.
This is a very fluid situation, so fans in New England should stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, veteran backup Brian Hoyer will lead the team into Arrowhead for a showdown with the 3-0 Chiefs on Monday night.
