Cam Newton will not be suiting up to play against the Kansas City Chiefs after it was announced he tested positive for the coronavirus.
Newton’s positive test represents the first known case of COVID-19 on the Patriots roster. Until this point, the Patriots had avoided any infections for both staff and players.
Soon after the news, the team would confirm out by releasing a statment:
With Newton set to miss Sunday’s game, Brian Hoyer is expected to start for the Patriots in his place. Second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham would presumably be active as the backup to Hoyer in this instance.
Newton is completing 68.1 percent of his passes for 714 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His biggest impact has come in the run game, where’s tallied 149 yards (4.3 per carry) with four rushing touchdowns — the most among quarterbacks.
