Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Branden Albert was absent from the start of the team's offseason workouts Monday and told NFL Network Tuesday that until he gets a "definitive answer" on whether he will be traded he'll continue to "stay away". "I want to be a Chief," Albert said on the network's NFL AM program while in the NFL Network's Los Angeles studios.

"[I want to know] if I'm going to be there long term. Right now, everything is uncertain," he said. The workouts are stictly voluntary but Albert, who received the team's franchise tag this offseason, was the only player absent.

Albert signed his franchise tender worth $9.82 million late last month and therefore can be traded if the Chiefs find a deal to their liking. He said he'll play this season on that one-year deal if he has to, "but I'd rather not," preferring to sign a long-term contract.

"During the season we were negotiating, thinking we were going to come to terms, but things happen and now we're in the situation we're in now," he said.