The Seahawks Refuse to Let Russell Wilson Suffer Cam Newton’s COVID-19 Fate
Over the last several days, there has been a prominent number of COVID-19 cases to arise in the NFL. That has seen the Tennessee Titans heavily impacted and now the New England Patriots with Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore. All that has guided the Seattle Seahawks to hunker down with their safety precautions around their star quarterback Russell Wilson.
Cam Newton tests positive for COVID-19
The New England Patriots experienced a significant setback last week after star quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19.
That alone nearly put the Week 4 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in jeopardy but was pushed back to Monday night. Initially, Newton was the only Patriots player to contract the virus. However, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore tested positive earlier this week, drawing more concerns.
At this point, the Patriots have had no additional players test for the virus while the Chiefs have had nobody on their roster or within the organization come back positive. It’s a situation that has put an increased safety level around the league as the Tennessee Titans have also been hit quite hard by the virus over the last several days.
That alone has ramped up talk about the possibility of the Titans having to forfeit their Week 5 game against the Buffalo Bills due to the illness. It has also shifted the Seahawks to increase the health protocols around their star quarterback Russell Wilson.
Seahawks cautious with Russell Wilson’s health
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The Seahawks are off to an impressive start to the 2020 season, holding an undefeated mark through their first four games.
It has seen Russell Wilson led the way behind his MVP-caliber play that has created possible Super Bowl talk around the franchise. With that in mind, head coach Pete Carroll has voiced that the team will take increased health precautions around Wilson in the wake of what happened to Cam Newton, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times.
“We’re working hard to try to protect (him), you know — by doing a great job across the board in general for everybody,” he said, adding that “there’s nobody more diligent about wearing his mask than Russell.”
There wasn’t any concern with Newton’s health in any capacity before the positive test, which only further underlines the importance of the safety measures. Wilson has remained quite proactive in following those guidelines, which should significantly lower the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Nonetheless, the Patriots and Tennessee Titans’ situations should provide more reason for teams to buckle down with their health protocols moving forward.
Seahawks hoping to make a Super Bowl push
The Seahawks have more than met their lofty expectations through the first month of the season.
Russell Wilson is playing like the clear-cut favorite for the MVP award a quarter through the year. The 31-year-old has tied Peyton Manning for the league record with 16 touchdown passes through that stretch while completing 75% of his passes with 1,285 passing yards.
Wilson has been the driving force of the Seahawks’ success that has seen him set numerous records along the way. His 14 touchdown passes through three games were the most in NFL history while he was the first player to have at least four touchdown passes in each of those contests over the span.
Seattle does have some concerns about their play defensively, but the team behind Wilson’s production looks like a Super Bowl contender. Much of the season is still left to play, making what the Seahawks are showcasing something to watch moving forward.
