Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes may have unintentionally put himself in harm’s way on Monday night by hugging it out with Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The simple hug following the game could now turn into much more, as Gilmore has tested positive for COVID-19. Gilmore said he is asymptomatic and was cautious but still caught the virus. “I’ve followed every protocol, yet it happened to me,” he said. “Please be sure to take this seriously.”
The Patriots canceled Wednesday’s practice following the news. On Friday, quarterback Cam Newton announced that he had tested positive for the virus, which was the reason the Chiefs and Patriots game was moved from Sunday to Monday.
As for that post-game embrace, “I was just trying to show respect to a great football player who I hope is getting better very quickly,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “I’ll just try to keep away from that and try not to do it again.”
So far, Mahomes seems to be narrowly missing the virus as it continues to pop up around him. Last week the Chiefs’ practice squad quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu, tested positive for COVID-19, which resulted in Mahomes taking some proactive measures at home. It was last Wednesday when Mahomes and his fiancé, Brittany Matthews, announced that they are expecting their first child. “I’ve just tried to do my part to kind of keep myself away from her and social-distance whenever stuff like this arises,” he said. “It’s something I think about every day. You have to think about that with her being pregnant, kind of that high-risk category. I just try to do my best, especially after finding out Jordan was positive.”
The Chiefs are scheduled to play the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Raiders also recently had a player test positive for COVID-19, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst.
Add comment