Coronavirus: Cam Newton tests positive, Patriots vs. Chiefs game postponed but could be played Monday or Tuesday

The marquee matchup of Week 4 around the NFL was to be the New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs, but it no longer will be played Sunday after Pats quarterback and former NFL MVP Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19. The Patriots had been the rare team in the NFL this year yet to put a single player on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Sportsbooks have taken the game off the board. 

"Late last night, we received notice that a Patriots player tested positive for COVID-19. The player immediately entered self-quarantine," the Patriots said in a statement Saturday. "Several additional players, coaches and staff who have been in close contact with the player received point of care tests this morning and all were negative for COVID-19."

NFL teams are not allowed to disclose which players test positive for the virus, but any player who does is immediately placed on the COVID-19 reserve list. Newton has been terrific, throwing for 714 yards and two touchdowns and leading all quarterbacks with four rushing touchdowns.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Patriots were scheduled to depart for Kansas City on Saturday afternoon but now are waiting for more test results until leaving (as of now no other members of the team have tested positive but incubation periods can vary after infection). The game is officially postponed for Sunday but still could be play Monday or Tuesday if all goes well -- Tuesday being more likely.

Kansas City's bye is Week 10 and New England's Week 6 so there would be no easy fix if the game is taken off the Week 4 schedule entirely.

The Pats' other quarterbacks are second-year Jarrett Stidham and veteran journeyman Brian Hoyer. Presumably it would be Hoyer if New England has to make a change so quickly simply with his experience in both the NFL and with the Pats previously. Newton would miss Week 5 vs. Denver too. 

To make matters potentially worse, Chiefs scout team QB Jordan Ta'amu has also tested positive for COVID-19 and was added to the reserve list. He played the role of Newton in practices this week. 

The Titans-Steelers game scheduled for Sunday was postponed to Week 7 because a total of 16 members (eight players) of the Titans organization have now tested positive. 

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