New England Patriots: No way Week 5 game can be played
By Sam Minton
After the news of Stephon Gilmore testing positive for COVID-19, there is no way that the NFL can allow the New England Patriots to play their upcoming game.
The NFL season is slowly crumbling before our eyes. The New England Patriots seem to be at the beginning stages of an outbreak within the organization. There is no way that the Patriots can play in Week 5.
It all started with Cam Newton. When he tested positive thing appeared to get really intense for the organization. Players were concerned and some media members thought that their Week 4 game against the Chiefs would be postponed to later in the season.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
But that wasn’t the case. The NFL postponed the game that was originally scheduled for Sunday and simply move it a day later.
Even though it appeared that New England was clear of COVID-19 with no positive tests leading up to the game, that wasn’t the case.
First, it was practice squad player Bill Murray on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday fans found out that Stephon Gilmore tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday.
The NFL has to be concerned. One of the more prominent teams could be without a lot of key players in their next game.
Gilmore is arguably the best player on both sides of the ball while Newton is the best offensive player that New England has. Without these two players, it’s hard to see the Patriots winning any games.
But this displays how insane of a move it was for the NFL to play on Monday. They had to have known that there was a chance that after the game some players could have tested positive. It’s common knowledge that the incubation period for COVID-19 can be as long as 14 days according to the CDC.
The league prioritized making money on Monday night with two of the best teams in the AFC playing over the safety of the players. They showed what they truly care about by going forward with the game.
This doesn’t just affect the Patriots. When the news of Gilmore’s test results broke images came out of him shaking hands with Patrick Mahomes. Now it can’t be guaranteed that Mahomes tests positive but the rest of the league is waiting with bated breath. Arguably the best quarterback in the game could be out of commission for a while.
This could be just the beginning of a series of positive tests for the Patriots. If the NFL even wants to just make it seem like they care about their players they have to postpone New England’s game.
Now sadly, this is just what happens when you don’t play in a bubble. That idea is impossible to do in the NFL.
NFL rosters are too large for the bubble concept to work. Then when you add all of the coaches and personnel it just ensures that is the case.
But the NFL can’t allow these teams to play if there is an outbreak within the organization. The league just has to be prepared to postpone games and move around bye weeks.
If these positive tests continue to occur (especially among prominent players) the NFL could be in serious jeopardy. There’s a chance that the season is put on pause and even that no one is awarded the Lombardi Trophy.
'Killer mistakes' drop Patriots. dark. Next
It’s rather simple. If the NFL wants to ensure that they keep their players safe, they need to postpone New England’s game. They can’t make the same mistake twice.