Report: Patriots Place Tight End On Reserve/COVID List Amid League-Wide Spike

The New England Patriots added tight end Dalton Keene to their COVID-19 list on Monday. The talented player was already placed on season-ending injured reserve. Keene hasn’t seen any action or practice with the team since the spring. He was treating a neck injury.

Keene’s addition to IR won’t really change the situation for the Patriots on the field. Well, he won’t be able to return to facilities until he clears the NFL’s COVID protocols. In other words, Keene has to show two negative PCR tests separated by 2 hours if he is fully vaccinated or wait for 10 days if he hasn’t received a dose of the shot. If he doesn’t return in the next couple of weeks, Keene will miss rehab work and meetings with the team.

The Patriots selected Keene in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft, using the 101^st overall pick on the right end. Keene saw action in six games last season and caught three passes for 16 yards. Keene didn’t reach his full potential due to neck and knee injuries.

The Patriots tight end is not the only player with COVID

Adam Schefter from ESPN confirmed that NFL teams deal with at least 37 positive cases at the moment. This is the highest number of player positives for a day since the COVID outbreak. According to Schefter’s report, the NFL also had the first known case of the new Omicron variant. A Washington Football team staffer tested positive for the new variant as reported by Tom Pelissero from NFL Network.

When it comes to the Patriots, the team didn’t have too much issues with COVID this season. Keene is the third Patriots player to land on COVID-19 reserve in the last three weeks. Running back J.J. Taylor and safety Kyle Dugger are on this list. They didn’t join the team for the win over the Buffalo Bills.

New England looks good at the moment. Players are getting ready for the upcoming ame against the Indianapolis Colts.