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Cam Newton remains sidelined, urges COVID-19 safety: 'Wear your mask'

Cam Newton is going on Day 5 of his stint on the NFL’s COVID-19/reserve list.

The New England Patriots quarterback missed Monday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and his status for Week 5 against the Denver Broncos is unclear. The Patriots didn’t provide an update on Newton on Wednesday.

But he delivered a message of his own in a Twitter post urging followers to maintain COVID-19 safety protocols.

Notice the absence of Cam font there. He means business.

NFL gripped by COVID-19

Newton’s message arrives as the NFL is in the grips of a simmering COVID-19 crisis, with his teammate Stephon Gilmore announcing Wednesday that he tested positive and an outbreak and reported breaks in protocol among the Tennessee Titans threatening their game for a second straight week.

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 27: Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots runs onto the field before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Cam Newton had a blunt message for his followers on COVID-19 safety. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

The league is scrambling to contain the outbreaks after mitigating COVID-19’s spread through training camp and three weeks of the regular season.

As the inevitability of an airborne pandemic’s impact on a sport not insulated by a bubble sets in, the NFL is becoming more serious about containing it, threatening teams that don’t follow safety protocols with game forfeitures.

Newton is reportedly asymptomatic, and there’s a chance he could be cleared to play on Sunday. In the meantime, he’s urging mask skeptics to take things seriously as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc beyond the confines of the NFL — and only promises to get worse if people fail to take precautions.

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