Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday that Ford won't be available to play in Monday's game against the Jets while the receiver waits to clear COVID-19 protocols, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Acquired from the Dolphins prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, Ford will reside on the Reserve/Commissioner Exempt List and won't count against the Patriots' 53-man roster for Week 9. Assuming Ford is able to pass his intake testing without incident, he should be ready to participate in the Patriots' first Week 10 practice next Wednesday before making his team debut Nov. 15 against Baltimore. Ford had played less than 40 percent of the offensive snaps in his final three games with the Dolphins, but he should have a clearer path to playing time in New England with top slot man Julian Edelman (knee) out indefinitely.