NFL Says Patriots-Broncos Is Still On Track For Sunday Afternoon
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots are dealing with another positive COVID-19 test on Friday, but for now, their game against the Denver Broncos is still set for Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.
The Broncos are set to fly to New England on Saturday, and according to multiple reports, they've been told by the NFL that the game will go on as planned -- at least for now.
After the game was ultimately pushed from Week 5 to Week 6 following three positive tests for the Patriots last week, players are anxious to play the game this weekend. The NFL, at the moment, has no contingency plans in place to reschedule the tilt.
And as it currently stands, this game is on track to be played Sunday. No other contingencies have been discussed at this time, per source. https://t.co/fwiETPUJvV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 16, 2020
The Broncos are slated to fly to New England early afternoon on Saturday. I'm told coach Vic Fangio addressed the situation post-practice today, told players they should all assume the game will be played as scheduled. And be ready for anything.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 16, 2020
As of right now, game's on.
Vic Fangio said as of right now he expects the #broncos to be flying tomorrow to play the #patriots. He said they're under the assumption this game is happen when it's supposed to.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 16, 2020
The NFL doesn't have much wiggle room this week, a luxury they had last weekend when they simply pushed the game to Week 6 and had the Patriots and Broncos take their bye in Week 5. And even pushing the Pats-Broncos back a week had a ripple effect on the rest of the schedule, forcing a handful of teams to shuffle their schedules further down the road.
The NFL is looking to avoid that happening again, though in the end, the safety of its players, coaches and staff members should be all the league cares about.
The Patriots canceled their Friday practice after center James Ferentz reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
Tune in to Patriots-Broncos on WBZ-TV! Pregame coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay, kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and after the game stay tuned for full reaction and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter!