Report: Patriots QB Cam Newton Tested Positive for COVID-19

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UPDATE: (12 p.m.): ESPN's Adam Schefter is also reporting via Twitter that Sunday's game between the Patriots and Chiefs has been postponed, and is expected to be played either Monday or Tuesday. Reports out of Kansas City also indicate that at least one player on the practice squad there has tested positive for COVID-19.

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has tested positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates.

Schefter tweeted “Patriots’ QB Cam Newton tested positive and is out for this week's game vs. Kansas City, per @FieldYates and me” just after 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

Newton will now miss the road game against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The 2-1 Patriots leave Saturday to face the 3-0 Chiefs. Arrowhead Stadium is currently allowing for 22 percent of capacity on game day, so roughly 16,000 fans will be in the stadium.

Per a later Schefter tweet, the game has been postponed to either Monday or Tuesday.

The Patriots have confirmed that a player on the team has tested positive for COVID-19 in a statement released Saturday morning about 10 minutes after Schefter’s tweet.

“Late last night, we received notice that a Patriots player tested positive for COVID-19. The player immediately entered self-quarantine. Several additional players, coaches and staff who have been in close contact with the player received point of care tests this morning and all were negative for COVID-19,” the statement read. “We are in close consultation with the NFL, as well as our team of independent doctors and specialists, and will follow their guidance regarding our scheduled trip to Kansas City and game against the Chiefs. The health and safety of our team, as well as our opponent, are of highest priority.”

The Patriots’ options at quarterback for Sunday would now be veteran backup Brian Hoyer or second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who has never started an NFL game and has thrown just four pass attempts in his career.