Tag: Le’veon Bell

When can RB Le’Veon Bell begin to practice, play with Chiefs?

The COVID-19 protocols were recently updated and it’ll take more time for Bell to join the team.

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The Kansas City Chiefs officially agreed to terms with free agent RB Le’Veon Bell on Thursday. The move sent shockwaves throughout the NFL world as the reigning Super Bowl champions added yet another weapon to their offense. The impact of Bell won’t immediately be felt by the Chiefs, however.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 with the Tennessee Titans saw the NFL adjust their policies and protocols as it relates to new players and COVID-19 testing. Beforehand, players had to pass two COVID-19 tests and take a third point of care test when they arrive at the facility for practice. Now, the rules will require Bell to sit out longer and have more negative COVID-19 tests.

ESPN’s Adam Teicher shared the details of how the new protocols work.

Now, Bell must have negative tests for five consecutive days and take a point of care test on the sixth day and test negative before practicing. That means the earliest that Bell could possibly practice for the Chiefs is Wednesday, Oct. 21st. That’d be the teams’ first practice as they prepare for Week 7 against the Denver Broncos. You can expect that to be the first game that Bell plays in with Kansas City, in fact, he probably won’t even travel with the team to Buffalo in Week 6.

Don’t expect Bell to get a full workload in Denver even if he gets a full week of practice. Remember, Andy Reid has a complex offense and it’ll take him some time to fully grasp the playbook. Bell will likely get up to speed just in time to face the team that just made him a free agent. The New York Jets come to Arrowhead Stadium in Week 8. Bell will have a bit of a score to settle against his former HC, Adam Gase, assuming Gase even lasts that long. It’s setting up to be a moment of poetic justice for Bell as he arrives with his new team.

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