Illness spreads through NFL playoff team, stars being put in 'quarantine'
The Kansas City Chiefs are not just getting ready to battle the Tennessee Titans in the AFC playoffs on Saturday, they are also tackling a flu that has ripped through their locker room.
It kept several players — including tight end Travis Kelce, defensive end Justin Houston and running back Charcandrick West — out of Sunday’s season finale against the Broncos, which the Chiefs won 27-24.
To keep it from infecting anyone else before Saturday’s wild card game with the Titans, the Chiefs have taken precautionary measures.
“We’ve tried to quarantine the guys the best we could, get them out of the building,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters Monday.
“Quarantine’s not the right word, but we’ve tried to get them away from the team, tried to isolate them the best we can,” added Reid. “Things like this happen and we just kind of hope for the best there.”
If the #chiefs had Kelce, Hill and Hunt they would be winning by 50.
— Alex L (@truechief10) December 31, 2017
The flu actually hit the team before its Week 16 contest against the Dolphins, but both Kelce and Houston played in that game. West, defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches, offensive lineman Cam Irving and defensive back Kenneth Acker also reportedly caught the bug.
Reid and his staff are keeping the sick bay away from the rest of the players to avoid it spreading further, but he is hopeful that everyone will be healthy and ready to go by Saturday.
He also took the opportunity to rest some of the healthy players on Sunday against the Broncos, like star running back Kareem Hunt, who sat out the second half.
Chiefs 2017 season:
• 10-6 record, AFC West Champs
• Kareem Hunt rushing title
• Alex Smith career year & highest rated passer in NFL
• Hunt, Hill, Kelce, all over 1,000 yards in rushing/receiving
• Playoff bound— The Reid Option (@ReidOptionKC) January 1, 2018
“We were fortunate that we could rest guys a little bit,” Reid said. “Not all of them but some of them, and get a couple guys nicked up some needed rest. But everybody practiced last week that could, so they were able to get some good work in. So it worked out well.”
Along with all of the sick players, the Chiefs’ leading receiver Tyreke Hill also missed the Broncos game, but that was due to a death in the family. Hill will be ready to go next Saturday.
One player who won’t be available is return specialist De’Anthony Thomas, who suffered a broken leg in the Broncos game.
Bad news, folks. Andy Reid's #Chiefs are winless against the Titans at Arrowhead.
— 📽️ Red Tribe Cinema (@ClayWendler) January 1, 2018
Fans may be wondering not only if the Chiefs will be healthy for the playoffs, but which version of the team will show up. Will it be the team that started 5-0 and looked like the best team in the conference with huge wins over the Patriots and Eagles, or the team that lost six of their next seven, including losses to the Giants and Jets?
The good news for Chiefs fans is the team finished strong, winning their last four to finish 10-6.
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