The Kansas City Chiefs released their first injury report for Week 18 on Wednesday. As the regular season enters its final week, the Chiefs will visit the Denver Broncos for a divisional matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday, January 5 at 4:25 p.m. EDT. With playoff seeding set in place for Kansas City, it appears they plan to rest some of their key starters while giving reserves opportunities to play.
This week’s injury report is one of the longer lists of the season, but given the circumstances, the name’s on this week’s report should not come as a surprise. Head Coach Andy Reid spoke about the team’s plan regarding which players will sit or play. Including player’s injury statuses during the team’s weekly press conference on Wednesday.
Kansas City Chiefs Injuries For Week 18
The Chiefs listed 11 players on their injury report for Week 18, and headlining the report are Defensive Tackle Chris Jones, Running Back Isiah Pacheco, and Right tackle Jawaan Taylor. None of these players participated in Wednesday’s or Thursday’s practice, raising questions about their availability for Sunday’s game. Jones is managing a calf injury, while Pacheco and Taylor deal with rib and knee issues, respectively. At this point, it is almost a certainty none of these players see the field come Sunday.
Wide Receiver Mecole Hardman also returned to practice on Wednesday after Kansas City activated his 21-day window from injured reserve. Hardman is still recovering from a knee injury and has been a limited participant so far this week. Then there is Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle), Cornerback Trent McDuffie (knee), and Defensive Tackle Mike Pennel (hamstring) who were also all limited during Kansas City’s first two days of practice of the week. As of now, it has been confirmed by Reid that Mahomes will sit in Week 18 and Quarterback Carson Wentz will start on Sunday as will several other backups.
Everyone else on the report includes Safety Chamarri Conner (concussion), Offensive Tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring), Wide Receiver Nikko Remigo (wrist), and Cornerback Christian Rolland-Wallace (shoulder) who have all been full participants so far this week for the Chiefs. During the team’s weekly press conference, Reid also had this to say about Humphries, playing Sunday at left tackle against the Broncos: “There’s a chance. He’s feeling better. I just want to see how he does in practice, how he’s holding up.“ As for everyone else, it’s still too early to determine their game-day statuses.
Key Players Potentially Resting
The Chiefs are one of the few teams in the NFL that have their playoffs seeding all locked up, so at this point, they have no incentive to risk their core players with the playoffs beginning in a few weeks. Besides confirming Mahomes sitting in this game, Reid also hinted at additional rest for other starters as well. Tight End Travis Kelce, Edge Rusher George Karlaftis, McDuffie, and Chris Jones to name a few will either see limited or no action on Sunday.
Reid addressed the decision to rest Mahomes, saying, “It wasn’t a hard decision, but it gives the other guys an opportunity to grow.” With Carson Wentz stepping in as the starter for the first time this season. The Chiefs will have an opportunity to rest their starters for the postseason while evaluating depth across the roster.
Final Thoughts
Kansas City’s Week 18 injury report reflects a calculated approach to a unique position the Chiefs find themselves in. With over three weeks before the divisional round of the playoffs begins Kansas City has the luxury to put the majority of its attention toward prioritizing player health. In this week’s game, they will also have the chance to evaluate some of their players who don’t normally get a ton of playing time during a season.
Sunday’s game, although it has no impact on anything postseason-related, is still another opportunity for this team to improve around the edges with their reserves going to be receiving a chunk of the playing time. Even with Carson Wentz leading the charge this week, the Chiefs are treating this week like any other game week as they try to stay in a semblance of rhythm before they go on an extended break before it’s full throttle once again in the playoffs.
