What do the Packers and Patriots have in common? Their QBs both got COVID before playing in Kansas City

This isn’t a story about how Aaron Rodgers is a liar that tried to run game on the NFL, the media, and his fans. It’s one about how unfortunate things happen to quarterbacks before they travel to Kansas City.

Last season, the New England Patriots were 2-1 heading into their Week 4 matchup in Kansas City. The stage was set for a Cam Newton vs. Patrick Mahomes showdown, as Newton had accounted for 860 yards of total offense in his first three games as a Patriot and scored six touchdowns.

But then… Newton tested positive for COVID-19, and he was never the same, and neither were the Patriots. After days of countless tests, New England traveled on gameday just so they could make their Monday Night Football appearance against Kansas City.

They lost, 26-10.

“It was a weird situation. It was something that we haven’t had to deal with before,” said Patriots running back Damien Harris. “But we knew coming into this season that it was a possibility, so that I think that our job was just to be ready for it. And it happened. And it was what it was. Guys, we were basically just sitting around waiting to hear what was going to happen.”

“We knew at some point we were going to play this game, whether it was today, tomorrow, weeks from now, months from now… So we weren’t going to sit here and take a day off and just relax because there was a situation going on that we couldn’t really control. Coach Bill says it all the time: control what we can control. So that was what we did.”

The NFL and its players knew what they were getting into when they decided to play during a global pandemic. And despite how some may feel, the pandemic hasn’t ended – meaning that the risks that were taken last season remain.

This season, the Green Bay Packers are 7-1 heading into their Week 9 matchup in Kansas City. The stage was set for an Aaron Rodgers vs. Patrick Mahomes showdown, as the reigning MVP is showing that he’s a potential threat to win the award again.

But then… Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19. That means that Jordan Love is preparing for his first career start against the reigning AFC Champions in a road game.

Only time will tell what will happen on Sunday, when Rodgers will be back, and how he will be punished. But what we do know is that things don’t tend to go so well for MVP quarterbacks before they travel to Kansas City.