The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 11 and still remain the NFL’s last unbeaten, with their perfect 9-0 record. However, injuries continue to remain a major concern for this team which has been playing a large part of this season without core pieces on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs are going to be heading on the road this week to face the Buffalo Bills (8-2) on Sunday, November 17.
This week’s injury report, which up to this point of the season, has been the Chiefs’ longest one yet, with 12 players listed, and its headlined by the most recent addition of kicker Harrison Butker, who was added on Thursday when it was reported he suffered a torn meniscus and won’t be back in the lineup until Week 15 against the Browns at the earliest. The rest of the report, although lengthy, did actually provide some good news on the injury front, which is something the Chiefs have desperately been looking for, so here’s the full breakdown of this week’s injury list.
Inside Look: Kansas City Chiefs Week 11 Injury Report
As mentioned, the Chiefs’ injury report includes a dozen players, some of whom have been on the injury reserve list but have finally returned to practice this week. The players who fall into that camp are defensive end Charles Omenihu and running back Isiah Pacheco.
Omenihu has been recovering from his ACL tear which he suffered in the AFC Championship game which he suffered last season against the Ravens, Pacheco has been sidelined since Week 2 of this season with a fractured fibula he suffered against the Bengals. Both players returned to practice this week, both doing so in a limited capacity and are not expected to play in this week’s game.
The other player who has been practicing in a limited capacity this week for the Chiefs was wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of the last three games, but due to his efforts in practice this week he is on track to play in Sunday’s game against the Bills.
Then, for everyone else on the report for this week: Defensive end Michael Dana (pectoral), wide receiver Mecole Hardman (shoulder/toe), wide receiver Deandre Hopkins (knee), running back Kareem Hunt (knee), defensive end George Karlaftis (abdomen/ankle), quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle/hip), offensive lineman (knee), and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (triceps) were all full participants in practice this week.
Harrison Butker’s Injury
According to the Chiefs’ injury report on Wednesday, Harrison Butker was a healthy scratch, but then on Thursday he was added to the report and was listed with a knee injury and as a limited participant in their practice on Thursday.
Shortly after, the news came out about his torn meniscus. Now if the Chiefs add him to the injury reserve he will be out for a minimum of four games as well, and it is currently being projected that Butker will be back just in time for the Chiefs playoff run. However, in the meantime, the Chiefs have signed kicker Spencer Shrader from the New York Jets practice squad.
However, surprisingly this news likely came to fans, the Chiefs now do have another question mark in their kicking game, which this season has been one of their more reliable areas of the team. Now, with this new reality, that may no longer be the case, which then means Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs’ offense are going to have to become more efficient in the red zone.
Their current ranking of 17th out of 32 teams in that category won’t be good enough if their kicking game is not as reliable as it’s usually been. This remains to be seen, but this is going to be something to pay attention to moving forward.
Players Trending Toward Action
I’m looking forward to this Sunday, excluding the Butker news. Everything else has been relatively good news for the Chiefs in the injury department. Although they have 12 players on the report for this week, nine of them are on track to play this Sunday.
On the offensive side of the ball, Hardman, still dealing with shoulder and toe injuries, has been a full-go in practice this week and is on track for this weekend. Hopkins was added to the report this week, dealing with a knee issue, but it hasn’t stopped him from being a full participant in practice this week, and he’s also on track for Sunday. Hunt has also been dealing with a knee injury this week, but he has not been hampered by it.
He is also a full participant this week and is on track for Sunday. Morris, who suffered his knee injury during the game last week against the Broncos, has practiced all week and is on track for Sunday as the Chiefs starting offensive left tackle. Then Mahomes, who’s been on the report the last few weeks as he’s dealing with some ankle and hip issues, but he’s been practicing all this week and is expected to play against the Bills.
Defensively for the Chiefs, Dana is on track for Sunday despite dealing with his pectoral injury. Karlaftis has also been a full participant in practice this week although he’s been dealing with abdomen and ankle injuries, he’s on track to play against the Bills. Lastly, Nnadi has remained on the injury report for Kansas City, dealing with a triceps injury, but that has not stopped him from missing any practice, and he’s on track for Sunday as well.
Final Thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs’ ability to navigate injuries has been a hallmark of their success this season. Despite a lengthy injury report, their depth and adaptability have kept them undefeated. The loss of Butker will force adjustments on special teams, but if there’s any team well-equipped to make such adjustments and not miss a beat, it is this team.
As the Chiefs continue to prepare for their matchup against the Bills, maintaining health as best as they can down the stretch of this season will be crucial for their postseason aspirations. The Chiefs have been able to get by, if only barely, after suffering multiple injuries to key players. However, as they now enter into the second half of the season, it will open the door to new challenges Kansas City will have to overcome if they hope to keep their perfect season alive and achieve their ultimate goal at the end of the season, which is holding up another Lombardi trophy and making more history for their franchise and the sport as a whole.
