Patriots players happy Belichick thinks 'safety first'

Following a week during which four players landed on the COVID-19/Reserve list, the Patriots are easing back into Gillette Stadium.

The facility in Foxboro reopened Wednesday but it was anything but a normal day. Typically, it marks the first practice day of the week. Players also get together for meetings inside the building as well as for workouts in the weight room.

This Wednesday was different. The Patriots opened up the stadium but had players rotate in based on [...]

Following a week during which four players landed on the COVID-19/Reserve list, the Patriots are easing back into Gillette Stadium.

The facility in Foxboro reopened Wednesday but it was anything but a normal day. Typically, it marks the first practice day of the week. Players also get together for meetings inside the building as well as for workouts in the weight room.

This Wednesday was different. The Patriots opened up the stadium but had players rotate in based on their position group. Players were weightlifting only, as practice was canceled. Team meetings were handled remotely, with players talking with coaches and teammates on their computers via WebEx. The hope is that the Patriots will practice Thursday and Friday.

Since Cam Newton, Stephon Gilmore and Byron Cowart all tested positive for COVID-19, head coach Bill Belichick has prioritized player safety. The Patriots are doing their best to prepare for Sunday’s matchup against the Denver Broncos but are going about their business in a way that puts the players’ health in the forefront.

"Everybody wants to win and that’s all 32 teams around the league," Patriots safety Adrian Phillips said "It’s what are you willing to do to get your team to that W?

"With the whole COVID situation, you can tell that coach isn’t willing to sell out his own team, put his team at risk just to get a win. ... We’re people; we have families. There’s a mindset that we’re going to do what we can to win but we’re going to do it safely."

The Patriots ran into a few issues following Newton’s positive test on Oct. 2. After the NFL delayed their game in Kansas City by a day, the Patriots not only had to travel on the day that their game was scheduled, but did so with Stephon Gilmore without the knowledge that he had been exposed to the coronavirus. Gilmore was on a separate plane with other players who were in contact with Newton but the problem was that the NFL wasn’t accounting for the virus’ incubation period. Gilmore tested negative for the virus four days in a row before testing positive.

After the Patriots’ loss on Oct. 5, they placed three more players on the COVID-19/Reserve list. It started with Bill Murray on Oct.6. Then Gilmore tested positive for coronavirus the next day. The Pats shut down Gillette Stadium all last week but players returned to practice on Saturday.

As they found out with Gilmore, negative tests didn’t necessarily mean players were in the clear. On Sunday, Byron Cowart tested positive for COVID-19 a day after he had practiced at Gillette Stadium. That forced the NFL’s hand and they postponed the Broncos-Patriots game from Monday to this Sunday at 1 p.m.

Following the Patriots’ situation in Kansas City, the NFL revised its COVID-19 protocols. On Monday, the NFL announced that every person who has been in "close contact" with someone who has tested positive for the virus will have to isolate for at least five days.

So far, Patriots players and coaches have tested test negative. That’s why the Patriots could have practiced on Wednesday. Instead, Belichick canceled practice in order to take a cautious approach.

"[Belichick] really has just put our safety, our family's safety first," running back Rex Burkhead said. "And he's been in constant communication with us on doing whatever he can or whatever the team can to put things in place to keep us safe. And that's great, just knowing he has our back in these situations and these times."

"I feel great. It’s a crazy time for everybody," offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn said. "The Patriots, from the top to the bottom, have been doing a terrific job of taking precautionary steps needed to make sure everybody else is safe and everybody’s well-being is taken care of."

It’s been a strange couple of weeks for the Patriots but players are happy with how their coach has responded.

"When you have a person who tests positive on the team, it doesn’t matter who it is and [Belichick] says, ‘OK, we’re going to shut the whole thing down,’ " Phillips said. "That shows you he cares about you as a person and not just about the wins and losses."

mdaniels@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @MarkDanielsPJ