The Kansas City Chiefs are just two days away from their AFC Championship Game rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals. As expected for an outing this late in the season, neither team is 100% healthy.
Andy Reid’s squad is dealing with a multitude of lingering injuries, as well as some fresh ones suffered in Week 16’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The first couple of practice days saw many players sit out, whereas others have since managed to return and improve their likelihood of playing on Sunday.
Friday’s practice, normally the most important of the week, is over. Kansas City is ruling out a pair of players for Week 17, but the team is still unsure about some others. Reid took the podium on Friday afternoon to provide an update on where things stand on the injury front.
Donovan Smith, Kadarius Toney not playing against the Bengals
To lead things off, Reid announced that left tackle Donovan Smith and wide receiver Kadarius Toney won’t play this weekend. Neither player has practiced all week, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’ll both be inactive on Sunday.
This marks the fourth game in a row that Smith will end up missing as the veteran offensive lineman recovers from a neck stinger. Rookie Wanya Morris will once again start in relief of him. For Toney, this is his second-straight missed outing because of a hip injury and his third overall this season. Kansas City has no shortage of cooks in the kitchen at wideout, though, even without the former first-round pick in the fold.
Chiefs waiting to see how Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire progress into the weekend
Perhaps the biggest injury news for the Chiefs on Friday was that running back Isiah Pacheco returned to practice. Pacheco suffered a concussion in the third quarter of Monday’s loss to the Raiders after losing his helmet and subsequently getting kneed in the head by center Creed Humphrey. While it’s good that Kansas City’s leading rusher is advancing in the league’s return-to-play protocol, Reid reminded everyone that there are still more hoops to jump through before he can officially get back on the field.
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