Given that they just played the Houston Texans on Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs naturally did not hold practice on Sunday. However, since they have a quick turn around in a Christmas Day matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, the Chiefs released an injury report in estimation.
There’s a mixture of good and bad news on this initial injury report, but we’ll get more clarity on where things stand on Monday and Tuesday. Let’s take a look.
The Chiefs’ first injury report for Christmas Day vs. Steelers in estimation:
| Player | Injury | Participation |
|---|---|---|
| DT Chris Jones | Calf | DNP |
| CB Chamarri Conner | Concussion | DNP |
| LB Jack Cochrane | Ankle | DNP |
| T D.J. Humphries | Hamstring | DNP |
| T Jawaan Taylor | Knee | LP |
| C Creed Humphrey | Shoulder | FP |
| QB Patrick Mahomes | Ankle | FP |
| S Justin Reid | Back | FP |
| WR Nikko Remigio | Knee | FP |
| CB Joshua Williams | Ankle/Elbow | FP |
| WR Xavier Worthy | Ankle | FP |
KEY: DNP = Did not participate | LP = Limited participation | FP = Full participation | NIR = Not injury related
Observations:
- The big mystery is the status of All-Pro DT Chris Jones, who exited Saturday’s game against the Texans late in the third quarter with a calf strain. We’ll know more when coach Andy Reid speaks to the media on Monday, but for now it seems that there is at least a chance that Jones isn’t able to play against Pittsburgh.
- OT Jawaan Taylor being listed as LP is a positive sign as he left Saturday’s game with a knee injury and didn’t return. Wanya Morris, who has played plenty of LT for K.C. this season, took his place and did a nice job. Morris will likely start for Taylor if he can’t go, but the fact that Taylor avoided a DNP signals that he’s on track to play.
- Speaking of LT, D.J. Humphries being listed as DNP might not be a great sign for his availability on Wednesday. He has a couple of more days to improve, but hamstrings can be tricky. Even when Humphries is eventually cleared to return, it’s unclear if the Chiefs will want to stray away from Joe Thuney playing LT considering how well he has done.
- CB Chamarri Conner still has to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol. He could do that over the next couple of days and end up playing against Pittsburgh, he’s not there yet.
