The Kansas City Chiefs welcomed back wide receiver Mecole Hardman for Week 18, but they’ll be down another member of the pass-catching corps — rookie Skyy Moore.
After suffering a laceration to his hand in Week 17, Moore was officially ruled out on January 5. Arrowhead Pride media member Pete Sweeney shared the news on Twitter, stating: “The Chiefs say that WR Skyy Moore will be listed as OUT against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. K Harrison Butker did practice on Thursday, but Andy Reid said there is a chance that the team still brings somebody in.”
The #Chiefs say that WR Skyy Moore will be listed as OUT against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. K Harrison Butker did practice on Thursday, but Andy Reid said there is a chance that the team still brings somebody in.
Chiefs Final Injury Report Lists 4 Players as Questionable
Along with Moore’s designation, Kansas City’s final Week 18 injury report listed four contributors as “questionable.” Those players were nickel L’Jarius Sneed (hip), guard Joe Thuney (ankle), Butker (back spasms), and Hardman (pelvis).
Even if Hardman suits up, he’s not expected to take on a heavy workload. That means the Chiefs will be short at wide receiver. USA Today’s Charles Goldman commented on that note — and a theory that KC would be elevating wideouts this week — voicing: “It’ll be Ihmir Smith-Marsette [that gets elevated]. Cornell Powell on PS-injured [reserve], Marcus Kemp out of elevations, Bryan Edwards waived.”
He’s right about the lack of available playmakers, and the lack of WR depth makes the Edwards cut even more curious. The former Raiders draft pick might have been an option this weekend in a revenge game scenario, but the Chiefs decided to go another direction.
Kansas City did bring back RB/WR hybrid Jerrion Ealy on January 3, so perhaps the undrafted prospect receives his first promotion of the year.
As for the other three wounded starters, Butker and Thuney have been dealing with injuries throughout the 2022 campaign and it might be smart to air on the side of caution with both of the key veterans ahead of the playoffs. Sneed is another crucial piece of this KC core, and it wouldn’t be surprising if all three were held out or given limited snaps come Saturday.
Davante Adams Cleared in Week 18, Josh Jacobs in Doubt
The Raiders only have two injuries on their final report — running back Josh Jacobs and linebacker Darien Butler.
The latter has been ruled out with a concussion, while Jacobs is officially “questionable” with hip and oblique ailments. The star ball carrier’s status does appear to be somewhat mysterious beyond the injuries that are listed.
ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez tweeted: “Josh Jacobs, who can become the Raiders’ first NFL rushing champ since Marcus Allen in 1985, is QUESTIONABLE to play against the Chiefs after taking two days off for personal reasons.”
It’s been a challenging week around the NFL community so it’s impossible to speculate on any player’s mindset heading into the final weekend. Either way, Jacobs will be an important playmaker to monitor on Saturday morning.
In other news, integral Raiders pieces like wide receiver Davante Adams (illness), current starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham (elbow), and punter A.J. Cole were all full participants in practice after being limited at an earlier date.
Las Vegas is coming off a narrow 37-34 overtime loss on New Year’s Day, where they gave the NFC Super Bowl contender San Francisco 49ers a real run for their money. As always, the Chiefs must expect a hungry and motivated Raiders rival as they battle to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC — even if the current postseason format is unknown at this time.
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Chiefs Playmaker Downgraded to ‘Out’ vs. Raiders in Season Finale