Bill Belichick on Patriots players testing positive: 'Health and safety of the team first and football second'

The Patriots are attempting to get their season back on track after Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore both tested positive for COVID. But while the team may be on track to play their scheduled game against the Denver Broncos, coach Bill Belichick said that his focus is on getting everyone healthy, as "it's the health and safety of the team first and football second."

"There's nothing more important than the health of the team,"  Belichick said. "Without a healthy team, you don't have a team. That's priority No. 1, and I'd say not only to our team but to their families and people that are close to them. That's always our No. 1 concern. We try to do everything we can to make that the best we can make it. That's the way it's always been, and that's not going to change."

Belichick is often seen as perhaps the most cunning and ruthless mind in all of sports, but he has consistently made it clear that nothing that happens on the field is nearly as important as keeping his players safe and healthy. During the opt-out period, the Patriots were among the teams with the highest number of players who chose to skip the season, and Belichick said he completely respected each player's personal choice and would not look down on anyone who decided not to play.

Earlier this week, the Patriots seemed like they were set to become the second team to face a COVID-19 outbreak after quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Stephon Gilmore tested positive. But the team may have successfully stopped the spread, as NFL Network's Ian Rappoport reported that the Patriots had zero positive COVID-19 tests this morning, putting them in a position to potentially play Sunday's matchup against the Denver Broncos.