Cam Newton on COVID-19 Diagnosis: 'I Never Will Question God's Reasoning'
October 4, 2020
New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19, ESPN's Adam Schefter and Field Yates reported Saturday.
On Sunday, Newton posted to Instagram that he would "never question God's reasoning" and will take the time away from football to "get healthy and self reflect."
The NFL, meanwhile, pushed back the Week 4 matchup between the Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs to Monday night at 7:05 p.m. ET on CBS. The game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans had already been postponed after an outbreak of the coronavirus in the Titans organization.
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefterWith the Chiefs-Pats set for Monday night, not only will KC now have to play three games in 10 days, but Buffalo could be coming off a Week 5 bye if the Titans can’t play next Sunday. Buffalo would be at home, with extra time to prepare for the Chiefs. It’s the COVID season.
The complications of the coronavirus pandemic have hit the NFL in a big way. While some sports like the NBA and NHL largely avoided positive test cases due to the bubble environments they established, sports like the NFL and MLB have had more difficulties as they decided against a bubble environment and have continued travel for teams around the country.
As for Newton, he's been brilliant thus far in New England. The 31-year-old has thrown for 714 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, completing 68.1 percent of his passes while also rushing for 149 yards and another four scores.
Replacing arguably the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady, who spent 20 seasons with the Patriots, is no small task. But Newton has been up for the challenge, leading New England to a 2-1 record.
The team's ironclad grip over the AFC East might be waning—the 3-0 Buffalo Bills look like a legitimate title contender early in the season, with Josh Allen putting up MVP candidate numbers—but New England hasn't missed a beat with Newton under center.
Now, they'll see if they don't miss a beat with Brian Hoyer under center against the defending champion Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.