Las Vegas Raiders present more COVID-19 concerns for Chiefs in Week 5

The Raiders present even more coronavirus concerns for the Chiefs in Week 5.

Just as the Kansas City Chiefs seemed to escape their Week 4 contest and the clouds of confusion of the coronavirus that plagued it, the team is heading toward another game in Week 5 with the same questions looming. The Las Vegas Raiders are dealing with COVID-19 issues of their own as defensive tackle Maurice Hurst has tested positive as well.

The Chiefs were originally scheduled to play the New England Patriots in Week 4 on Sunday afternoon, but the game was postponed until Monday evening due to positive COVID-19 test results for starting quarterback Cam Newton. The Patriots ended up flying in on the very day they played in order to accommodate the safety protocols and limit further spread, only to lose by 16.

Within 24 hours of the game, the Patriots had already placed an additional player on their COVID/reserve list in defensive tackle Bill Murray. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore followed suit on Wednesday morning. Now the Patriots are not only wondering how far it will spread, but the Chiefs organization will also be watching closely to see if the franchise was affected by playing a team with players who were clearly infected.

For now the Chiefs have been cleared to practice after Tuesday’s testing results came back negative for everyone. However the virus can lie dormant before showing itself positively on tests, which is why some rapid testing cannot be fully trusted. In addition, now the Chiefs are supposed to face another team now dealing with COVID-19 concerns of their own in Hurst and the Raiders.

The league knew these would be the risks they take to try to play through a global pandemic, and the NFL has been fortunate to get four (nearly) full weeks of play in to date. Whether things will continue as scheduled remains to be seen, but the Chiefs are squarely in the center of it all.