The Kansas City Chiefs had the first practice at their home facility following training camp today.
There were new and old faces at practice today for the first time. It was probably a good thing because there were also several players that didn’t participate in practice today due to injury.
Tyrann Mathieu suffered a shoulder injury during the Chiefs’ preseason game against the Steelers. Andy Reid later said that he would have likely stayed in the game had it been a regular-season game. Mathieu was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday. It appears the team is being cautious with someone they consider a key contributor on defense.
Tyreek Hill was excused from practice for personal reasons, but he’s expected back at it tomorrow.
Here’s a look at all the players who didn’t practice today:
- DE Tim Ward – NFI
- LB Darius Harris – NFI
- WR Gehrig Dieter – Back
- TE John Lovett – Shoulder
- TE Deon Yelder – Ankle
- CB Michael Hunter – Groin
- DE Breeland Speaks – Knee
No changes for Ward, Harris, Dieter, Lovett and Hunter.
Following practice, Reid confirmed an ankle sprain for Yelder. That was the expected outcome after he was spotted in a boot and with crutches following the Steelers game. It’s not clear if it is the dreaded high ankle sprain, but either way, it won’t help his chances of making the team.
The most concerning injury right now is Speaks. Reid said that his knee injury is still being evaluated. It’s unclear if this is a serious injury, but the fact that they’re still evaluating the injury raises some eyebrows.
Reid previously said the team could potentially lose two players for the duration of the season from the boatload of injuries they suffered on Saturday. Marcus Kemp was already sent to injured reserve, could Speaks be one of those players? That’d be a disappointment for the second-year defensive lineman who seemed to be doing well in the Chiefs’ new defensive scheme.
