Patrick Mahomes Says Hugging Stephon Gilmore After Patriots-Chiefs Game Was a ‘Mental Lapse’

The Kansas City Chiefs are a team the NFL is keeping a close eye on, and it’s not just because of their perfect record. On Monday night, the Chiefs took on the New England Patriots, and it was announced on Wednesday that Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore has tested positive for COVID-19. When the game was over, Mahomes was seen hugging the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, which puts Mahomes in danger of possibly testing positive for the virus.

On Wednesday, Mahomes was asked about the hug and said it was a “mental lapse” on his part. It was reported Chiefs backup QB Jordan Ta’amu tested positive for the coronavirus, which led to Mahomes sleeping is a separate bedroom from his pregnant fiancee Brittany Matthews. The 2018 NFL MVP did say that he stayed at least six feet away from Ta’amu in meetings.

“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 as reported by ESPN. “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.” When it comes to hugging Gilmore, Mahomes said he was just “trying to show respect to a great football player who I hope is getting better very quickly.”

Gilmore confirmed the news of his positive test on Twitter and said he’s “asymptomatic and will take this at it comes.” Gilmore also stated that he “doesn’t know what to expect” but his “spirit is high because of God. “I’ve followed every protocol, yet it happened to me. Please be sure to take this seriously.”

Another situation the NFL is dealing with is the Tennessee Titans who have had 22 players and staff members test positive for COVID-19. Two additional players test positive for the virus on Wednesday, which means their team facility is closed. The Titans are scheduled to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but the game is now in danger of being canceled. It’s also possible the NFL could award the game to the Bills as the Titans would have to forfeit.