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The Kansas City Chiefs will have to continue the season without a key member of their defensive unit. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Emmanuel Ogbah underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle Monday.
The Nigerian-born player, who leads the team in sacks, suffered the injury during the Chiefs’ Sunday loss to the Tennessee Titans. Schefter did mention that he is expected to be fully healed in the offseason, during which he will become a free agent.
The Chiefs acquired Ogbah earlier this year from the Cleveland Browns for a player-for-player trade in which they offloaded safety Eric Murray. The 26-year-old was selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Browns, where he spent two seasons. During his college days at Oklahoma State University, Ogbah was named 2015’s Co-Defensive Linemen of the Year.
Ogbah’s absence certainly changes Kansas City’s starting lineup moving forward. It’s likely that Tanoh Kpassagnon will now suit up against fellow defensive ends Frank Clark and Alex Okafor moving forward. However, both Clark and Okafor have both endured injuries themselves, making the task of staying fit rather challenging. In fact, Clark revealed Sunday that he’s been suffering from a pinched nerve all season, dating back to the end of this year’s training camp.
The former Seattle Seahawk, who recorded a sack against the Titans to bring his season total to four, sat out the previous two games but was back in action during Week 10.
More Season-Ending Injuries Plague the Chiefs
Unfortunately, Ogbah is not the only one of head coach Andy Reid’s men to have his season cut short at the expense of Sunday’s contest. Per the Chiefs, offensive tackle Martinas Rankin has been officially placed on injured reserve, with the reigning AFC West champions picking up Jackson Barton from the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad.
The 25-year-old picked up a knock shortly before halftime Sunday, and was eventually ruled out for the rest of the afternoon.
Reid Clarifies Why LeSean McCoy Was a Healthy Scratch Sunday
When the Chiefs released their final injury list prior to kick-off, running back LeSean McCoy was listed as inactive with a healthy scratch, which ignited confusion from fans and critics alike. Addressing the media following the loss, Andy Reid further explained the reasoning behind benching the team’s leading rusher.
“We’ll see,” Reid quipped. “I’ll just manage him the way I think is best, so he stays effective throughout the season. So I haven’t — that’s not where I’m at right this minute. I’ll get there, so we’ll see how it goes this week.”
Reid then added he feels as if it’s his “responsibility” to ensure one of his veteran players remain healthy for the duration of this campaign.
“He’s a little bit older, and so it’s my responsibility to manage him the way I feel is right. So I chose to do what I did there. Right or wrong, I chose to do what I did there, and then we’ll just see how it goes going forward.”
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