It looked like Wisconsin had finally found an elite quarterback, but now it looks like the Badgers will be without him for three weeks as Graham Mertz has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
The news came just two days after his record-breaking debut start against Illinois where he completed 20-of-21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns.
Mertz's positive test was from the Big Ten's daily antigen testing and does not necessarily rule him out yet. Metz will now have to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm the first result.
Apologies for the delay in answering questions from #Badgers fans about Graham Mertz testing positive for COVID-19. Have been working on the story for much of the day but we wanted to be certain. One positive test. Has to have a second test to confirm.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) October 25, 2020
If the PCR test comes back positive, Mertz will then be sidelined for 21 days before he can return to action, according to the Big Ten's rules. This would cause him to miss Wisconsin's games against Nebraska, Purdue and Michigan.
