Andy Reid Makes First Comments Following Willie Gay Jr. Arrest

Andy Reid has made his first comments on the arrest of Willie Gay Jr. and Gay's status for the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. was arrested Wednesday night and charged with misdemeanor criminal damage under $1,000. Gay plead not guilty during his court appearance on Thursday and was released from custody later Thursday. On Friday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid made his first public comments on Gay's arrest and his status for Sunday's divisional round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.

"Other than Fenton, everybody else practiced," Reid said. "Willie was a part of that."

Reid then continued and went through his decision-making process in regards to Gay's playing status after having some conversations. 

"I decided he'd play, I'm not going to get into the conversations," Reid said. "I decided that after just hearing some of the information there."

Fellow Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens also spoke about Gay on Friday.

"I'm always here for him," Hitchens said. "No one is perfect, not even myself. It's a part of growing. He's a good dude, a good heart. He means good."

Anthony Hitchens on Willie Gay: "I'm always here for him. No one is perfect, not even myself. It's a part of growing. He's a good dude, a good heart. He means good."

— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) January 21, 2022

Earlier Thursday, Gay's representative, Maxx Lepselter, released a statement providing some details from Wednesday night's altercation. (Text and typos left as-is, as they were in the statement.)

Willie was at his sons house visiting. He and the mother got into an argument during which he broke her vacuum. No one was touched, nothing happened beyond broken appliance. She called cops about it and they took him in on misdemeanor destruction of property of less than $1000. Likely just pays a fine and replaces vacuum. Nothing more, all should be resolved today with no further issues.

Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star tweeted more details of the damage, according to an Overland Park Police Department offense report.

"The damage is to a vacuum, cell phone screen, wall/door frame and a humidifier, per an OP PD offense report," McDowell tweeted.

McDowell later tweeted that "no drugs, alcohol or weapon [were] involved in the incident Wednesday night, according to the Overland Park Police Department offense report."

#Chiefs: Willie Gay appeared in Johnson County Court this afternoon.
-The judge said he can sign himself out after posting bond - $1,000.
-Until a civil judge hears the case, Gay is not allowed to have contact with his 3 month old son or the child's mother.

— McKenzie Nelson (@McKenzieMNelson) January 20, 2022

Gay will not be allowed to have contact with his three-month-old son or the mother of the child until Gay's case is heard by a civil judge. His next court date is set for March 2.