Another COVID-19 test emerged to be positive at the New England Patriots camp which makes it the team's fourth confirmed positive case over the past eight days. However, the player or personnel member has not been named, as told by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Patriots’ one positive test this morning now makes it four positive tests over the past eight days. The game vs Denver already had been pushed from Sunday to Monday night, and it now is in question. https://t.co/9ev4woeO4B
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2020
Despite the recent developments, the league still plans to push through with the already-rescheduled Week 5 Monday Night Football encounter between the two teams:
NFL still plans to play Monday’s Broncos-Patriots game, source tells ESPN. There is further testing this morning in New England, it takes a few hours to get back those results, but as of now the league expects to have more answers later today, with the game played Monday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2020
Quarterback Cam Newton, practice squad defensive lineman Bill Murray, and cornerback Stephon Gilmore were the recent Patriots players to be named positive for the virus. The 2019 NFL Defensive Player in Gilmore still managed to play in the Patriots' Week 4 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs also had a positive case in practice squad quarterback Jordan Ta'amu. However, further tests came out to be negative which prompted the league to proceed with the game which ended on a 26-10 win by the Chiefs. The league could take the same steps ahead of the Patriots-Broncos matchup.
In other news, the Las Vegas Raiders previously had a positive COVID-19 case which was unnamed by team. The Chicago Bears also recently had a player who contracted the virus while the Chiefs had a strength and conditioning coach who tested positive.
Perhaps it would take a team reaching double-digit positive cases first before the league considers making major adjustments similar to postponing the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers game from Week 4 to Week 7.
The rest of the league is watching the COVID-19 developments closely and are bracing themselves for possible adjustments moving forward.