Report: DT Byron Cowart Latest Patriot To Test Positive For COVID-19

Cowart has started all four games on the defensive interior for the Patriots to start the season.

During Saturday's round of testing another New England Patriots player tested positive for COVID-19. Now we know who that player is. 

Second-year defensive tackle Byron Cowart is the latest Patriot to test positive for the coronavirus, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. 

"Per multiple sources, starting defensive tackle Byron Cowart is the player who tested positive on Saturday. He’ll be placed on the reserve list at 4:00 p.m. ET today," Florio wrote. 

Due to another New England player testing positive, the NFL has rescheduled the Patriots-Broncos Monday evening game to next Sunday, Oct. 18. New England was scheduled to have their bye week in Week 6, so the shift in game scheduling means that Week 5 was their bye week.

Sunday morning it was reported that another player had tested positive for COVID-19 in New England, which caused the NFL to shut down the Patriots' facility on Sunday.

On Friday, Oct. 2, quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for the coronavirus, which forced him to miss the Patriots' Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Monday night. That same weekend, practice squad defensive tackle Bill Murray also tested positive, and was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list with Newton. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, reigning Defensive Player of the Year and cornerback Stephon Gilmore tested positive, which forced the second shutdown in New England. This caused the Patriots to take extra precautions, which included holding only one physical practice ahead of their originally-scheduled Week 5 game against Denver, which took place on Saturday.

The schedule adjustment gives the Patriots the opportunity to do more testing and ensure the coronavirus does not spread anymore.

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