KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is swapping out his scrubs for pads as he prepares for the 2021 NFL football season.
On his Instagram account, Duvernay-Tardif said it was time for him to “transition back into football,” thanking those he worked with during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This experience changed me in a way that I never thought would be possible,” he wrote. “I met extraordinary people that made so many sacrifices and took care of our vulnerable ones with so much passion and dedication.”
In July 2020, Duvernay-Tardif became the first NFL player to opt out of the 2020 season to work as an orderly at a long-term care facility in Canada.
“Those nurses, orderlies and doctors made me realize the difference between treating and caring for patients,” Duvernay-Tardif said in his post.
Duvernay-Tardif was a sixth-round pick in 2014 from McGill College in Canada and started 14 games in 2019 for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs offensive line will have several new faces since Duvernay-Tardif’s last game, Super Bowl LIV — including Orlando Brown, Kyle Long, Joe Thuney, Austin Blythe and rookies Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith.
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