The Kansas City Chiefs will have their star defensive tackle back at practice on Friday.
Chris Jones was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday, putting his status in question for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, Jones will be back in the team facilities and allowed to practice on Friday. This suggests that Jones will be removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list and cleared to play on Sunday against Carolina.
The report from Rapoport was later confirmed by KC Star beat reporter Herbie Teope.
#Chiefs standout DT Chris Jones, out recently because of a close contact with a staffer who was COVID-19 positive, is back in the building and set to practice today, source said. That’s a sign he’s been cleared.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 6, 2020
How could such a quick turnaround from the reserve/COVID-19 list be possible for Jones? Depending on when his contact occurred and whether he was deemed a high-risk or low-risk close contact by the NFL all play a role in this determination.
At the end of the day, so long as Jones has been cleared to return, there should be no problems in terms of his game status in Week 9. It’s big news for the Chiefs defense, who will look to slow down Panthers star RB Christian McCaffrey on Sunday. Jones has the most run stops among defensive linemen in Kansas City with 14 according to Pro Football Focus.
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