Bill Bleschick avoids the question of Cam Newton-Stephon Gilmore’s dinner

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On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Shifter reported that the Patriots had corner Buck Stephon Gilmore having dinner With Patriots Quarterback Cam Newton Friday evening, after a nasal swab that finally tested positive for COVID-19 was collected from Newton. On Thursday, Patriots coach Bill Belishek was asked if the team was aware of this before traveling to Kansas City for Monday’s match against Chiefs.

“[A]All information and everything that includes testing, contact and everything else, and all the information that we have processed through the medical people on our side and the medical persons in the league, and [we] “I followed the protocols,” Pelisik told reporters. “I feel we have done everything we can control. I think we did everything right with the extra plane, extra buses, same day travel, And so onAnd the And so on. There are multiple things we can list there. Regarding a lot of specific individual questions, I would like to say that all of these are thrown into the general medical field. “

When asked if the team knew about the Newton-Gilmore dinner, Bilesik was equally elusive.

“We have followed all the NFL protocols,” said Bilesik.

While the protocols may have been technically followed, the Patriots had reason to believe that Gilmore was more likely than others to test positive, given how long he was exposed to Newton. distance Newton generated a positive test sample. Some would argue that Gilmore should have been kept out of all activities until the incubation period ended without a positive test.

Regardless, Gilmore went to Kansas City. He flew on the plane carrying those who had close contact with Newton. He was on the field during the match. Talk to quarterback heads Patrick Mahomes Too close after the match. The whole time, the team and Gilmore knew that the virus was very likely to leak into his body, with days of negative tests suddenly turning positive once the incubation period ended.

Which, of course, I did.