Kansas City Chiefs release statement regarding COVID-19

The Kansas City Chiefs released a statement on Thursday clarifying the working conditions for coaches and staff for the foreseeable future.

As the world of professional sports adjusts to the pandemic known as COVID-19, the Kansas City Chiefs are one of several franchises in the NFL who have taken precautions regarding the team’s employees and working conditions.

On Thursday, the Chiefs made a public statement explaining the changes in expectations for coaches, scouts and other staff members for the immediate future. Essentially, the team will be grounding any travel in terms of pre-draft activities and they’re expecting everyone to work remotely if possible.

"All non-essential Chiefs personnel have been instructed to work remotely for a minimum of 14 days beginning Monday, March 16. Additionally, we have suspended business travel and all non-essential travel for our coaches and scouts for the time being as we continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19."

Typically this is a very busy season for an NFL team as free agency is scheduled to begin next week and well over 100 schools are hosting pro days to highlight their alumni who are hoping to be selected by an NFL franchise in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. Scouts and even assistant coaches are often on the road this time of year, and visits are made with players on site or even invited back to Arrowhead.

As of press time, the National Football League has not announced any official delays in the offseason schedule regarding COVID-19, but other professional sports have suspended operations indefinitely. The NBA was the first major sport to suspend actual games, and the NHL followed suit. Major League Baseball just announced they would delay opening day by a couple weeks before reevaluating.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.