FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 27: Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots looks on during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots’ players are clearly nervous after a coronavirus outbreak has affected Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore.
Prior to the 2020 NFL season beginning, no team was forced to deal with more opt-outs than the New England Patriots, proving there was plenty of skepticism about the safety and validity of this weird campaign.
From prime positions like ILB (Dont’a Hightower) and safety (Patrick Chung), the Patriots shed many of their most dogged competitors, all for the same reason: They were nervous about what a coronavirus outbreak would do to them and, most importantly, their families.