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The Kansas City Chiefs have placed defensive tackle Chris Jones on the reserve/COVID-19 list, as first reported by ESPN’s Field Yates.
The Chiefs have placed star DT Chris Jones on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 5, 2020
Jones’ placement on the list does not necessarily mean that he has tested positive for COVID-19. As was the case with fullback Anthony Sherman, Jones may have been exposed to an individual who tested positive for the virus.
This is indeed the case with Jones, per NFL Network.
No positive test here, I gather. He’s a close contact. https://t.co/1hNNrT0H92
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 5, 2020
It was revealed earlier Thursday that Chiefs head athletic trainer and vice president Rick Burkholder had tested positive for the virus, so he could have been the individual with whom Jones was in close contact. We can’t say that with 100% certainty as of this writing, but it is worth noting that Jones has been listed on the injury report in receiving treatment for his injured groin since Week 4.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer chimed in Thursday evening, noting that the close contact happened away from the team’s facility.
Per source, Chiefs DT Chris Jones landed on the COVID-19 list because he was a close contact, not because of a positive test. That close contact, I'm told, happened outside the facility and away from the team.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 5, 2020
Kansas City plays Carolina on Sunday.
If Jones is classified as a “high-risk close contact,” he will need to be isolated from the team for five days, with the clock beginning the day after his exposure to the positive subject. That information is not available at the moment, so it is unclear if Jones will be available to play against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Jones would also obviously need to test negative for the virus.