(This post was originally published on Patriots Wire.)
New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is expected to return to practice in Week 6 after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
It’s a terrific sign for Newton after contracting the disease. Newton’s return would also mark a season-changing moment for the Patriots, as they struggled enormously on offense without him in Week 4.
Newton had been asymptomatic for the entirety of his time with COVID-19, so he was eligible to return after 10 days from his first positive test. That would have marked a return last weekend. Instead, the Patriots will put Newton on the practice field for their first workout of Week 6 on Thursday.
They will play the Denver Broncos on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.
When the Patriots return to practice on Thursday, QB Cam Newton is expected to rejoin the team, per source. That would put Newton on track to start Sunday vs. the Broncos.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 14, 2020
The game had initially been scheduled for last Sunday, but the NFL postponed the game twice after New England’s COVID-19 outbreak resulted in four players landing on the reserve COVID list. That game was unlikely to feature Newton or Broncos quarterback Drew Lock.
But with both players returning to the field for their first practice session of the week, it seems likely they will both play on Sunday.