KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Wednesday he's hopeful the team will be able to host fans at full capacity at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium this season.
The organization announced in May its plans to sell single-game tickets at full capacity for the 2021 season.
It operated at reduced capacity in 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Now, amid a recent increase in COVID-19 cases due to the faster-spreading delta variant and re-implemented mask mandates, it's unclear if 100% capacity will still be possible.
“Something I’ve learned over the last 18 months is it’s very dangerous to try to look into the crystal ball because things change very fast, and we’re seeing that right now,” Hunt said during media availability at training camp in St. Joseph.
Though the team is cognizant of the changing conditions, they continue to move forward with plans to play in front of a full stadium.
“We’re definitely planning on having 100% capacity at GEHA Field this fall, but it is a dynamic process and we’ll work with the health director in Kansas City like we did last year," Hunt said.
Last week, the Chiefs touted a high vaccination rate among players and Tier 1 staff, a feat Hunt attributes to players' leadership.
“At the end of the day, it was really a function of our team leaders. Not so much the coaching staff or Brett Veach, but Patrick Mahomes and the other leaders on the team encouraging their teammates to get vaccinated. I think that’s why we have such a high vaccination rate,” Hunt said.
Hunt is confident vaccinations will give the Chiefs an edge on teams with players who haven't gotten the vaccine.
With fewer possible infections, the Chiefs are likely to have fewer players and/or position groups in COVID-19 protocols at any given time.
Wednesday, head coach Andy Reid said running back Darwin Thompson and long snapper James Winchester were in the league's COVID-19 protocols.
