The Kansas City Chiefs will not have to isolate any players on their roster, despite New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore testing positive for COVID-19 a day after playing the Chiefs.
That includes quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who could be seen interacting with Gilmore after the game, a move he called “a mental lapse” that derived from an attempt to show sportsmanship.
Players for both teams wore contact tracers during the game, which informed the Chiefs whether anyone of their side had prolonged contact with Gilmore.
Gilmore tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to media reports. In addition to playing every defensive snap, he greeted Mahomes after the game, the two players embracing for a one-armed hug.
The NFL and its players association agreed to COVID-19 protocols that included forbidding teams from engaging in post-game interactions within six feet of one another.
The interaction between Mahomes and Gilmore remained brief. The CDC determines a close contact for COVID-19 as being within six feet of someone for at least 15 minutes.
Mahomes said he did not hear from the NFL or the NFLPA personally about the incident, but the head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder spoke to the league and then to the team, reinforcing the importance of following those protocols.
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