Another positive test, and another postponement.

 

There will be no football at dusk Monday night at Gillette Stadium.

Gillette Stadium will be silent Monday evening, as another positive COVID-19 test for a member of the Patriots has forced the NFL to postpone their game against the Denver Broncos for a second time, now to next Sunday at 1 p.m.

The game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. today, then moved to 5 p.m. Monday upon the positive COVID test for  cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Then, earlier today, defensive tackle Byron Cowart tested positive (according to a report by Jeff Howe of The Athletic), the fourth Patriot to do so, forcing the NFL’s hand before the Broncos boarded their team plane.

The decision to move the game was a relatively simple shift for the Patriots, who were originally to have their bye week next week. But it forced a ripple effect throughout the league’s schedule to avoid the addition of an 18th week of the regular season. The other games affected were Chiefs-Bills to next Monday, Dolphins-Jets to Week 6, Jets-Chargers to Week 11, Chargers-Jaguars to Week 7, Chargers-Broncos to Week 8, Chargers-Dolphins to Week 10 and Dolphins-Broncos to Week 11.

All this happens amid growing COVID numbers elsewhere in the NFL — the Tennessee Titans just had another assistant coach test positive — and increasing discontent among players over how the coronavirus testing protocols are being administered across the league.

League officials are taking every step possible not to extend the regular season any further, but it’s looking that there’s a sense of inevitability about a potential postponement of Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, especially if the nationwide rise in COVID cases continues to filter into the NFL’s rosters.