Andy Reid Addresses KC's COVID Outbreak, Players Returning
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the team's outbreak of COVID-19 cases when speaking to the media on Wednesday, but there was good news to be found for the Chiefs as well.
"Everybody that was here practiced," Reid began. "Obviously we have a little bit of the COVID thing going around and some guys are in the protocol for that, which we understand. It's league-wide. We get it."
When asked about the team's current loss of their top two pass-catchers, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, Reid said the answer for the team was a matter of being prepared for what happens next.
"We've gone through this for two years now, so anything's possible and we get it," Reid said. "The next guy's gotta be ready to go."
First reported by Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (reserve/COVID), wide receiver Josh Gordon (reserve/COVID) and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (personal) were all spotted on the practice field, in addition to rookie defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, who remains on the injured reserve list.
Reid confirmed that all four were on the practice field on Wednesday and said the team had no current knowledge of new cases within the team. Gordon and Gay will be the first Chiefs on the active roster to come off the COVID list this week.
After two days with significant additions to the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Chiefs reportedly will not have any new names hit the list on Wednesday.
Reid also said the Chiefs and the league, to his knowledge, have not had preliminary discussions about potentially moving the Chiefs' game this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On Tuesday, the team's reserve/COVID list grew even larger, adding wide receiver Tyreek Hill, linebacker Nick Bolton, right tackle Lucas Niang, offensive lineman Kyle Long, safety Armani Watts, cornerback Rashad Fenton and tight end Blake Bell to the list, which already included tight end Travis Kelce, cornerback Charvarius Ward and kicker Harrison Butker from Monday's additions. Defensive tackle Chris Jones, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and wide receiver Josh Gordon were all on the list before the team's Thursday Night Football victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Butker, who is reportedly unvaccinated, appears to be the only player to be definitively unavailable for Sunday's scheduled game against the Steelers.
Update: Later Wednesday afternoon, the Chiefs officially activated Gordon and Gay from the reserve list but added right tackle Mike Remmers. Remmers is currently on injured reserve, so the move does not force a change to the Chiefs' active roster. With Niang, Long and Remmers on the COVID list, Andrew Wylie appears to be the Chiefs' clear starter at right tackle until Niang or Remmers would return.
