Report: Patriots place practice squad player on reserve/COVID-19 list days after Cam Newton did, too
The New England Patriots placed a practice squad player on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, just days after quarterback Cam Newton also was placed on the list.
Rookie defensive tackle Bill Murray was added to the list on Tuesday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
Patriots practice squad DT Bill Murray has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 6, 2020
This does not mean that Murray has tested positive for the coronavirus. The reserve/COVID-19 list is used both for players who test positive or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.
Murray, who played at William & Mary, signed a deal with the Patriots in March.
Potential outbreak within Patriots
Newton was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, and missed the Patriots’ 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday — a game that was delayed a day due to a positive test on each team.
Newton is reportedly asymptomatic, and could be cleared to return later this week. He updated his health status in an Instagram post on Sunday, saying that he will “take time to get healthy” but did not confirm whether he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
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The Patriots actually took two separate planes from New England to Kansas City for that game, in order to keep 20 “close contacts” of Newton’s separated. It’s unclear if Murray made the trip.
All follow-up tests within both the Patriots and the Chiefs organizations have come back negative so far, though it has only been a few days. The virus’ incubation period can last up to a week, meaning the coronavirus can still spread within the teams.
The Patriots are one of several teams dealing with positive tests. The Tennessee Titans suffered the worst outbreak so far, as 10 players and 10 staffers tested positive between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4. That outbreak is stabilizing, and the team has had no positive tests over the past two days. The Vikings briefly shut down their team facility after learning of the Titans’ outbreak, too, as it came less than two days after their game.
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