AP

Branden Albert does indeed have permission to talk to the Dolphins — as long as he does his talking through his agent.

An odd circumstance arose on Thursday when it was reported that the Chiefs had given the Dolphins permission to meet with Albert, the left tackle they are considering trading. Hours after that report was published, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that permission had not been granted.

Now Reid has clarified for Chris Mortensen of ESPN that Kansas City has given permission to the Dolphins to speak with Albert’s agent, but no visit to the Dolphins’ facilities or physical exam is allowed yet.

Reid said he was engaged in on-field business and misunderstood what Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey had told him about the Albert situation, leading to some confusion about whether they were still talking about trading him to the Dolphins. Reid said there had been no talks between the Chiefs and Dolphins for two days, and that Dorsey had declined to give Albert permission to visit the Dolphins without a substantive trade offer, and as a result Reid thought no permission had been given.

But the Dolphins can at least talk to Albert’s agent about working out a long-term contract. And if they can agree on those terms, don’t be surprised if the Dolphins end up sending a second-round draft pick to Kansas City. And don’t be surprised to see Albert in a Dolphins uniform.