Josh Gordon’s vaccination status helps his chances to play for KC Chiefs

On Monday evening, news broke that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Josh Gordon had tested positive for coronavirus which meant the team had to place him on the COVID reserve list just a few days before visiting the Los Angeles Chargers in an important divisional showdown.

The timing of the positive test is not good for the Chiefs or Gordon, to be sure, but it also helps to know that Gordon’s status of having already been vaccinated helps both the player and team in a moment like this.

In order to be able to return to the active roster and participate alongside the team in any function—at practice or to play in a game—Gordon needs to come up with a negative test and then wait 24 hours for another negative test. If he can produce two such tests within a full day of each other, he’s cleared for action to return back to the game.

Josh Gordon‘s decision to be vaccinated against COVID-19 comes in handy for the KC Chiefs.

If Gordon had decided to go against the wishes of trainers and doctors around the team, such as other players in the league like Cole Beasley or Aaron Rodgers, then things would be far more complicated and Gordon would have already been ruled out for this game and likely another. Unvaccinated must produce the same tests alongside a 10-day quarantine away from everyone. That could have put Gordon’s status in jeopardy against the Chargers in Week 15 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16.

Gordon has been playing up to 40 percent or more of offensive snaps for the Chiefs in the last several weeks although his actual contributions have been minimal. On Sunday, however, in the team’s win over the Raiders in Week 14, he had two catches and his first touchdown of the season. If Gordon is slowly working his way into greater trust and chemistry with the coaches and Patrick Mahomes, the COVID test comes at a bad time.

It’s within the realm of possibility that Gordon still plays on Thursday night against the Chargers since he will have three more afternoons in which he can try to test positive, but it seems likeliest that the Chiefs will make do without him for a game. However, his vaccination status at least keeps the window of opportunity open for the present and should have him playing against the Steelers next week without any problem.