There’s no mystery to this verdict. There’s no need to poke around for clues, or come up with more evidence.
The NFL is guilty of gross negligence when it comes to doing what’s best for its players.
This is not hindsight. It was pointed out by so many, the insanity of having the Patriots and Chiefs play their Week 4 game in Kansas City, in the wake of Cam Newton’s positive COVID-19 test on Friday.
Playing Week 5 would be even more absurd. The NFL shouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Get out in front of it this time, and cancel the Patriots’ game with the Broncos Sunday. Push it back. Move it to Week 18.
Learn from not being cautious enough the first time.
Having Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore test positive shouldn’t be a shock. The league had the Titans’ situation to learn from. And the learning is ongoing, with players continuing to test positive in Tennessee.
Over the weekend, after Newton tested positive, the league knew about the super-spreading possibilities. It knew all about the five-day incubation period, but ignored all of it because of negative testing the first few days.
They crossed their fingers no one else would test positive. They gambled it was contained to Newton.
Bad move.
This is no time to continue with the Russian roulette.
Don’t double down on stupidity.
If the Patriots’ game with the Broncos is played Sunday, it’s beyond gross negligence. It borders on criminal.
The players trust the league to do right by them. The league can put out stricter new protocols, and hold teams accountable.
The Patriots can travel in two planes, a regular one, and a COVID plane. That still doesn’t cut it.
If the NFL doesn’t act with more caution, and doesn’t act with the best interest of its players, as opposed to its own financial interests, the disaster will continue to multiply.
How can the league not learn from the mistake?
Since Newton, two more Patriots have tested positive including Gilmore and practice squad defensive lineman Bill Murray. So that’s the best offensive player, the best defensive player mixed in with a rookie lineman.
There are reports other Patriots aren’t feeling well, even though testing negative. Of course, the Patriots also have to take a look in the mirror and figure out if protocols weren’t upheld, or if this was just the nature of the beast.
But in terms of having the Patriots play again Sunday, the league has medical personnel on staff to consult. Ignoring the science is not an option. Although, Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, claimed during an interview with NFL Network, there were no “high risk” contacts with Newton.
Then why have two planes? Why have 20 players who were near Newton during the week on a separate plane? Gilmore was on the COVID plane. And now he’s been in contact with the 19 other Patriot players, as well as the Chiefs.
Decisions to play with positive tests not only impacts players and the coaching staff, it also impacts the families of the players and the teams they play.
Did the league happen to catch all the photos of Gilmore with Patrick Mahomes after the game? There was close contact. There were no masks. Mahomes is the biggest star in the league, and his fiancee is pregnant.
Was any of that considered before going ahead with that marquee game? Probably not, considering the TV revenue involved. The NFL wants to forge ahead, and stay the course.
Many of these players have wives and children. Many have family members who are at greater risk due to pre-existing medical conditions.
That’s why so many Patriots — eight in all — opted out in the first place. It will be no surprise if others follow suit after this debacle.
James White’s wife is pregnant. The Patriots running back, who is dealing with the death of his father Tyrone, talked about it being a tough decision to play in the first place.
“It was definitely difficult. Coming back from Florida and everything, then dealing with a positive test and what not. I have a pregnant wife at home,” White said after the game. “So, a lot of the stuff goes through my mind when it comes to that, too. There’s a lot going on at one time. When you get out there on the field, you just try and focus on your job.”
The NFL should also be focusing on its job.
Sure, keep the foot on the gas when it comes to making teams more stringent in following through with protocols. But don’t drop the ball in the interim.
Having teams play with COVID-19 cases in the building, having them on planes, on buses, on the sidelines, in the trenches, sends the wrong message.
Sure, it’s understandable to want the season to continue. It’s understandable to not want to use up that built-in extra week at the end of the season so soon. But the current COVID cases are the reality. Deal with the crisis at hand instead of hoping for the best, trying to fit everything into the schedule.
There’s wiggle room to push things back. There are weeks after the season, or simply, shut it down now for a week or two to get it back under control. There are more cases popping up across the league.
The players knew what they were getting into, but they also hoped the league would have their backs.
That wasn’t the case with the Patriots-Chiefs game, with the Pats traveling to and from Arrowhead on the same day.
“It was unique, I’ll say that. I certainly don’t want to use it as an excuse. Nor does anyone else on this team,” Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater said after Monday night’s game. “First time I’ve done that in 13 years in the National Football League. But look, anytime you get a chance to take the field, they give you an uniform and helmet, you go out there and try to make the best of it. That’s what we tried to do today.
“I certainly hope this is something we don’t have to do again.”
Gilmore was even more direct on a Twitter post Wednesday: “I’ve followed every protocol, yet it happened to me. Please be sure to take this seriously.”
Don’t move it to another Monday game. Don’t move it back a few days because the Patriots have a bye week the following week. Just push it back to Week 18 after the completion of the regular season. It’s just not worth the risk.
Again.
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Guregian: Stop the nonsense, NFL, and cancel the next Patriots game - Boston Herald
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