1:39 PM ET

  • Adam SchefterESPN Senior Writer

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    • ESPN NFL Insider
    • Joined ESPN in 2009
    • Former president of the Pro Football Writers of America and the author of four books

An equipment container containing some of the Kansas City Chiefs' shoulder pads, helmets and footballs has arrived in Foxborough, Massachusetts, after it was mistakenly sent to Newark, New Jersey, a team spokesman said Sunday.

The container was not unloaded Saturday and instead accidentally made its way to Newark, then had to be rushed back to Boston in time for Sunday's 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff between the Chiefs and the New England Patriots.

The container held the bags of roughly 35 players, according to a source.

If the Chiefs hadn't gotten the equipment by the time the game started, they would have had to forfeit, per a source.

Kansas City was responsible, not the Patriots or the league. The Chiefs did not take the equipment off the plane.

"I never heard that before," one source said.