The Facts: Newton has tested positive for COVID-19. Newton will not play on Sunday against the Chiefs, according to multiple reports.

Diehards Line: As Profootballtalk.com notes, a former league MVP who is in his first year with the Patriots, Newton is by far the highest-profile NFL player to test positive for the coronavirus this season. Although the league was forced to postpone Sunday’s Titans-Steelers game because eight Titans players have tested positive, none of those players was nearly as well known to the general public as Newton. It’s unclear where the Patriots go from here. Presumably Brian Hoyer would start at quarterback and Jarrett Stidham would back him up, although if they’ve both been in close contact with Newton they might both be forced to quarantine as well. The Patriots have not issued any statements about the matter, but the Patriots have been doing mass testing and re-testing and, so far, there is no spread, a source tells ESPN's Adam Schefter..