October 14, 2020 | 6:35 PM
Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore is expected to return to practice on Thursday, The Boston Globe’s Jim McBride reports.
Gilmore tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 6. He was placed on the COVID-IR list shortly after.
Gilmore reportedly had dinner with Patriots quarterback Cam Newton not long before Newton tested positive for the virus on Oct. 2. Newton missed the game against the Chiefs on Oct. 5 while Gilmore played.
Gilmore, unlike Newton, wasn’t removed from the COVID-IR list on Wednesday. Newton is reportedly expected to return to practice on Thursday as well.
Not long after his COVID-19 positive result was reported, Gilmore shared that he was asymptomatic. Players can return 10 days after their initial positive COVID-19 test if they are asymptomatic, per the NFL’s protocols. Sunday’s game against the Broncos will mark 12 days since Gilmore’s initial positive test.
The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year wrote in an Instagram post on Monday that he’s “ready to be back in action.”
The Patriots returned to their facility Wednesday for the first time since defensive tackle Byron Cowart reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. The team didn’t practice, opting to hold workouts on staggered schedules instead.
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