Patriots return to practice after week of uncertainty
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots were forced to prepare for two opponents this week — the Denver Broncos, and COVID-19.
A handful of positive tests — including quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Stephon Gilmore — led to the closure of the Patriots’ facilities for three days and the postponement of Sunday’s scheduled home game against Denver to Monday night.
New England was able to return to the practice field Saturday for a walkthrough — its only opportunity all week to meet in person and scheme for the Broncos.
“We’re literally taking this — I wouldn’t even say day by day, it’s more hour by hour,” coach Bill Belichick said. “We’ll continue to move forward, but at the same time know that we have to be ready to change, adjust and adapt as the situation calls for.”
Newton tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of last week’s showdown at Kansas City, leading the league to move the game from Sunday night to Monday. On Wednesday, Gilmore confirmed his diagnosis on Wednesday in a post on social media.
Neither practiced on Saturday and Belichick would not speculate on their availability for Monday’s game.
“I’m not getting into a bunch of hypotheticals,” Belichick said. “We’re taking it day by day, hour by hour.”
Bill Murray, a defensive tackle on the team’s practice squad, also tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week. New England’s three players on the league’s reserve/covid-19 list are second-most behind only Tennessee, which has had 23 positive tests within the organization.
The Patriots returned no positive tests Saturday and were given the all-clear by the league to resume in-person team activities, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
Notable
The Tennessee Titans also returned to practice Saturday, and quarterback Ryan Tannehill said it’s been a roller coaster as people with no symptoms test positive while others with full-blown symptoms receive consecutive negative tests on multiple days. He noted everyone had said from the beginning that testing would not prevent the virus from being spread. “It was really eye-opening and just the fact of we really don’t know, so we have to treat everyone as if they have the virus, unfortunately,” Tannehill said. “I feel like we probably lost faith in the testing system just through everything we’ve been through over over the past week and a half.” ... Running back Le’veon Bell was activated Saturday from the injured reserve list and he will be eligible to play for the New York Jets today at home against the Arizona Cardinals. ... The San Francisco 49ers have promoted cornerback Jamar Taylor from the practice squad to the active roster. The Niners also announced Saturday that defensive lineman Ezekiel Ansah and cornerback K’waun Williams have been placed on injure reserve. ... The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without injured top pass rusher Josh Allen at Houston today. ... The Chicago Bears moved offensive lineman Badara Traore from their practice squad to the reserve/covid-19 list.