Patriots-Broncos game gets pushed back to Week 6

The NFL has postponed Pats-Broncos after a positive COVID test.

The NFL is continuing to play whack a mole with its 2020 schedule thanks to questionable handling of the coronavirus. The New England Patriots, who re-opened their facility yesterday after a pair of positive COVID tests in the past week, had to shut it down again after a third player tested positive this morning.

As a result, the NFL has postponed New England’s game with the Denver Broncos until next Sunday, making it a part of Week 6. This move came just days after the NFL originally pushed back the contest one day after Stephon Gilmore tested positive for the coronavirus earlier in the week.

The NFL’s handling of the coronavirus outbreaks has been sketchy at best as Patriots’ cornerback Jason McCourty was critical of the league’s decision to make New England play in Kansas City on Monday days after Cam Newton’s positive COVID test, implying that the league was more concerned with playing the games than the player’s safety. The Patriots and Titans were both allowed to re-open their facilities yesterday with both having to shut down again after a Tennessee staffer tested positive for the coronavirus this morning.

The NFL hasn’t made a decision yet about Tennessee’s rescheduled game with Buffalo, which got pushed from Sunday to Tuesday, but its chances of being postponed again are increasing. The Week 6 schedule is already a mess since Buffalo is scheduled to play Kansas City on either Thursday or Sunday while the Miami Dolphins, who were scheduled to play Denver in Week 6, would now have their bye moved up from Week 11.

This situation is becoming a mess quickly and the NFL doesn’t have many options to fix it without letting the virus’ incubation period play out. Taking shortcuts will only continue to put players’ health and the schedule as a whole at risk.