KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid is working hard this NFL offseason much like any other year.
He's scouting players, preparing for the 2020 season and continuing to help run the newly crowned Super Bowl champions.
The only difference is that he's doing it from his basement this spring amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Not even Big Red is allowed at the Chiefs practice facility.
"We're doing everything from home," Reid said Thursday during a teleconference with reporters.
It's been that way for a couple weeks now for the Chiefs.
Reid said that no Chiefs or Chiefs staffers have tested positive for COVID-19, but that football players aren't the ones who need to be cheered for right now.
"Our heart goes out to everyone who's suffering from this son of a gun," Reid said. "It's a crazy time right now. All the front-line people who are out there kicking butt, working on this thing, we just appreciate."
It's been almost business as usual otherwise for the NFL, a league not currently in season that's still been able to carry out team transactions.
But that may change with organized team activities and mini-camps scheduled to begin in the next couple months. Training camp and the regular season are not too far after that.
"We're approaching it like we're having a season," Reid, who acknowledged the NFL's role these days is both non-essential and a relief for many fans, said.
"I think it's two-fold, because it can be a real positive energy-giver in time of maybe a need for that," Reid said. "At the same time, we're very sensitive to everything going on."
Next up for the NFL is the annual draft, which is still scheduled to take place April 23-25.
All public activities around the 2020 NFL Draft have been canceled and it will be conducted remotely, with players and team staffs at home.
Reid said the Chiefs are still ironing out their own logistics for it.
"(We're) looking at hotels as a possible option and putting people in different rooms," Reid said. "There's a variety of things you can try to look at, but we haven't put our finger down on one thing."
Whether it's back at the Truman Sports Complex facility or virtually, Reid said he has plans for his team already in place this offseason, but that's not his top priority.
"My main concern is that everybody stays as safe as they can with this thing going on," Reid said.
