Getty Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill warms up before Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Two noteworthy injuries that took place last Friday, August 20, were on the Kansas City Chiefs offense.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill felt some hamstring tightness prior to Kansas City’s preseason bout against the Arizona Cardinals, and thus decided to sit out the game, according to head coach Andy Reid. Reid also mentioned after the game that second-year running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire suffered what he described as a “slight sprain inside the ankle,” which would be re-evaluated on Saturday to double-check that it was not a high-ankle sprain.
On Monday, August 23, Reid provided updates on both players.
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So Far, So Good
“He’s doing well, he just did the walkthrough,” Reid told the media of Edwards-Helaire. “He’s got a sore ankle. We’ll just see how that goes here.”
When asked if he would be at Monday afternoon’s practice, Reid said “Let’s just see. There’s a chance he’s not.”
As for Hill, Reid didn’t mention whether Hill participated in the morning walkthrough, but gave a positive update on the All-Pro receiver.
“He’ll be out there unless there’s a setback,” Reid said. “But he feels pretty good.”
During the media portion of Monday afternoon’s practice, both Edwards-Helaire and Hill were spotted participating in practice, according to KSHB 41’s Aaron Ladd.
“Spotted #Chiefs Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) as a full participant during the portion of practice open to media,” Ladd tweeted.
Other Notable Injuries
Reid also mentioned during the opening statement of Monday’s press conference that defensive lineman Chris Jones was absent on Monday due to him being sick, but was adamant Jones did not have COVID. Defensive end Frank Clark was also acknowledged on Reid’s injury report with a “hamstring strain.”
Cornerback Rashad Fenton did not play against the Cardinals due to a hamstring issue, running back Darrel Williams and offensive lineman Yasir Durant are in concussion protocol, and center Austin Blythe underwent surgery last week for a sports hernia and is progressing well, per Reid.
What’s in Store for Week 3
The Chiefs’ final game of the preseason will be against the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium Friday night at 7 p.m. CDT. Reid was reluctant to mention during his press conference how much Patrick Mahomes or the remainder of the starters on either side of the football would play in the preseason finale. However, he may have an answer for us once he evaluates the roster after shaving it down to 80 players on Monday prior to Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.
In Kansas City’s 17-10 win over the Cardinals, Mahomes played a total of 32 snaps, per PFF. He was very rusty during that outing, which is why he earned a 40.7 offensive grade from PFF, and that may have also been why he was on the field for that many snaps. If Mahomes comes out and is able to put points on the board for Kansas City early against the Vikings, then we shouldn’t expect to see him on the field for the same amount of snaps he played against Arizona. But another rusty outing full of mistimed throws and miscommunication could have him playing a good chunk of the first half, if not more.
As for the first-team offensive line, and some of the other offensive and defensive starters, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them play a little bit into the second half of Friday night’s game depending on how the first half plays out.