NFL COVID-19 Crisis Will Move New England Vs. Kansas City To Monday Night – Update

Bruce Haring
·2 min read

UPDATE SUNDAY: The New England Patriots game against the Kansas City Chiefs has been officially moved to Monday night in Kansas City.

The Patriots vs. Chiefs game originally scheduled for Sunday will now kick off Monday night at 7:05 p.m., according to ESPN, after the Patriots and Chiefs returned zero new positive tests Sunday.

The originally scheduled Monday Night Football game between the Packers and Falcons will be delayed until 8:50 PM. The Patriots-Chiefs game will air on CBS.

Both teams will be tested again Monday morning, according to ESPN.

The New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions game will also go ahead on Sunday. The game was put in doubt when a test came back positive on an unidentified Saints team member. It was later determined to be a false positive.

UPDATE: The NFL has decided Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Chiefs will be rescheduled for Monday or Tuesday. The decision comes after Kansas City practice squad quarterback Jordan Ta’amu also tested positive for the coronavirus, according to multiple reports.

EARLIER: New England Patriots star quarterback Cam Newton has tested positive for the coronavirus and is out for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to reports.

Newton’s illness has not yet infected other Patriots players, but it puts Sunday’s game in jeopardy, as more positive results may surface on the team in the coming days. His illness comes in the same week that at least 16 Tennessee Titans players and staffers tested positive, a move that led to the postponement of the team’s game this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The uncertainty surrounding Newton leaves the ball squarely in the NFL’s court on whether the Patriots-Chiefs game will go on as scheduled. Unlike other professional sports leagues, the NFL has not resorted to isolating its teams in a “bubble” to prevent infections. So far, it has had few cases, but this latest outbreak raises red flags on the overall strategy.

The Patriots issued a statement without naming Newton. “The health and safety of our team, as well as our opponent, are of highest priority,” the Patriots statement said.

Newton is a key player for the Patriots. The 31-year-old quarterback has led them to a 2-1 record and accounted for six touchdowns, including four rushing.

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