Only a matter of time before coronavirus hits KC Chiefs

It’s only a matter of time before we hear of Chiefs players or staff testing positive for COVID-19.

At this point, it’s only a matter of time. The idea of the coronavirus not hitting the Kansas City Chiefs in the same way it is beginning to affect other NFL teams—or other sports franchises overall—is a pipe dream at this stage. The question is not if but when the Chiefs will find themselves dealing with one or more persons within the organization, players included, testing positive for COVID-19.

The coronavirus is the hurdle facing us all these days, affecting every corner of America and the rest of the world. No business is immune. No family is worry-free. And that means the NFL will also find itself wrestling with safety measures, quarantining players and staff, limiting exposure and developing new methods of pretty much everything to deal with the pandemic.

The league has obviously already re-routed much of its offseason programming, including reworking the three-day live event known as the NFL Draft to a full-scale digital production. Minicamps were cancelled. Rookies were onboarded via teleconference options like Zoom. Offseason training activities were shifted to virtual coaching opportunities, for better or worse.

These days, we’re hearing about players testing positive for COVID-19 and several franchises have already been affected. Even stars like Dallas Cowboys running back Zeke Elliott or Denver Broncos pass rusher Von Miller are not immune. At first Cowboys and Houston Texans players tested positive. Then came the same news from the San Francisco 49ers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the latest team to report there are players infected.

At this point, every single franchise, including the Kansas City Chiefs, should prepare to hear the same in the coming days and weeks, if they’re not already dealing with it behind the scenes. It’s only a matter of when, not if, the Chiefs will have to answer questions about players, coaches, or team employees who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The NFL still has considerable time to figure out their approach for wanting to play a full season that starts as scheduled with the Chiefs against the Texans on Thursday Night Football. Then again, how does a league prepare for a disease that’s still so foreign to us in many ways? There’s simply no way around. The entire NFL, including the Chiefs, will have to come to terms with the coronavirus in very personal ways. It’s only a matter of time.