With opener near, Kansas City Chiefs’ Tyrann Mathieu remains on reserve/COVID-19 list
Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list and missed practice Wednesday a week after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid is taking a wait-and-see approach on Mathieu’s availability for Sunday’s season opener against the Cleveland Browns at Arrowhead Stadium
Reid pointed out that the All-Pro safety might not necessarily need to get in a practice by the end of the week in order to play on Sunday, provided he clears the league’s COVID safety protocols and “everything is physically OK.”
“If he can go, he’ll go,” Reid said. “If he can’t, then he can’t. Make sure he’s safe to do it, though.”
A source previously told The Star that Mathieu is vaccinated. He’ll be required to pass two COVID tests administered 24 hours apart before he is allowed to be around his teammates again.
Reid said Wednesday that Mathieu’s testing process “is getting better.”
If Mathieu doesn’t clear the NFL’s mandatory COVID-19 protocols in time for Sunday’s game, the Chiefs could be thin at safety. Mathieu, Juan Thornhill, Daniel Sorensen and Armani Watts are on the team’s active 53-player roster. Rookie Devon Key is on the Chiefs’ practice squad.
While there are concerns regarding Mathieu’s status against the Browns, the same can’t be said of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who recently dealt with an ankle injury.
“I feel 100% healthy and right now I’m ready to go,” Edwards-Helaire said Wednesday.
As for the Chiefs’ other injured players, Reid said defensive end Frank Clark (hamstring) was expected to practice Wednesday, but center Austin Blythe (sports hernia) remains sidelined.
“He’s making progress,” Reid said of Blythe, who underwent surgery in late August.
The Chiefs later designated Clark, wide receiver Mecole Hardman (oblique) and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (hip) as limited participants for Wednesday’s practice. The designation means that those players did not see a full workload during team drills.
Edwards-Helaire, guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (hand), tackle Mike Remmers (knee) and rookie guard Trey Smith (shoulder) practiced fully.
For the Browns, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (illness) did not practice, while wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (knee) headlined a group of seven Cleveland players designated as limited.
This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 1:20 PM.
