On Tuesday, the Patriots placed cornerback Jalen Mills on the reserve/COVID-19 list. And with the Wild Card game against the Bills Saturday night, the question is will Mills be able to play?
“We’ll see how it goes," Bill Belichick said Wednesday. "We’ll follow the protocols. He’s not here today, so obviously we won’t practice him today, but we’ll see how it goes.”
With the new protocols, it does seem like it's possible.
Here's how players can return, per ESPN: two PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests that are either negative or produce a CT value of 35 or greater, one PCR test that is either negative or produces a CT value of 35 or greater, and a negative Mesa test result taken with 24 hours of the PCR test. (Mesa tests usually return results in less than an hour.) or two negative Mesa tests.
[UPDATE]: This is for players who are fully vaccinated. Players who are not and do not show symptoms most be out five days from when the sample is taken.
Several Patriots players who were placed on the COVID list early in the week played in the game that following Sunday, while others have not, like Myles Bryant last week. It is a little more difficult with the game being Saturday.
It really does seem like a case-by-case basis and no conclusions can be drawn from the past.
Mills has been the Patriots' No. 2 cornerback behind J.C. Jackson all year long. If Mills cannot go, the Patriots would have a major issue at cornerback. Joejuan Williams, Myles Bryant and D'Angelo Ross would be forced into bigger roles. And it's worth pointing out in the last meeting between the two teams Buffalo had a lot of success picking on Bryant.
The Patriots also have Justin Bethel (special teams), De'Vante Bausby (PS), DJ Daniel (PS) and Ce'Veon LeBlanc (PS) as potential options.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. Saturday.
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