The New England Patriots are experiencing more issues with respect to COVID-19.
Mike Reiss and Field Yates of ESPN reported the Pats are canceling practice on Friday after a positive test was discovered. Reiss also noted the team is awaiting confirmation on a second positive test.
Reporting with @FieldYates: The Patriots will be canceling their Friday practice after a positive COVID-19 test, per a source. There is also a second test they are awaiting to confirm is a positive.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 16, 2020
It's another #Patriots player who tested positive for COVID-19, per source. A second positive test is still going through the process to confirm. The team has been doing meetings virtually today. Practice and media availability canceled.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 16, 2020
This is brutal news for the Pats, who had seemed to be out of the woods after having last week's matchup with the Denver Broncos pushed to this weekend because of a number of positive tests.
It would seem Patriots-Broncos is once again in danger, though the NFL could have difficulties making this game up.
Both New England and Denver had their bye weeks last weekend, and—as Adam Schefter of ESPN noted—there is limited scheduling flexibility.
If the game could not be played Sunday, the NFL would be presented with its toughest scheduling challenge to date. Both teams, the Patriots and Broncos, had their byes last weekend and bye flexibility is gone. https://t.co/HMCsLPbd8l
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 16, 2020
Commissioner Roger Goodell suggested earlier this week the NFL would try to stay open and flexible when asked about the possibility of adding a Week 18 to the schedule. New England's recent positives might necessitate that move.
The Patriots have had a rough go of it in the last few weeks.
New England's Week 4 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs had to be pushed back a couple days after Cam Newton tested positive the Saturday morning of the game.
The two sides still took the field, but subsequent positives from Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore and others forced the NFL to postpone the scheduled contest between the Patriots and Broncos.
However, things seemed to be trending in the right direction this week. Both Newton and Gilmore were activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list, and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had already pushed back the team's practice schedule.
But things are looking a bit iffy after news of more positives in New England.
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