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A nerve-racking report came out of Kansas City Chiefs facilities today as Arrowhead Pride media member Pete Sweeney relayed that defensive end “Carlos Dunlap is being held out due to his Achilles hindering him.”
The sudden announcement didn’t go into any detail beyond that but the Achilles tendon is always an area of the body that trainers monitor with caution — especially when it comes to a 33-year-old athlete that plays an explosion-based position.
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Pass Rusher ‘Get off’ Utilizes Achilles
The defensive end position, in particular, really leans on the Achilles. If you’ve ever heard the term “get off,” it’s what pass rushers call their initial jump when the snap first occurs.
Any good edge will tell you that it’s a crucial aspect of being a successful NFL disruptor. Unfortunately, if that Achilles is tight, one wrong move could cause it to rupture. That’s the potential fear with Dunlap, which prompted Arrowhead Live film analyst Caleb James to voice two simple words that summed up the collective thought from Chiefs Kingdom right now: “Not good.”
For the moment, the Chiefs appear to be taking the best course of action — hold Dunlap out of team activities as they watch and treat the ailment.
A good example of the harsh alternative comes to mind. One of the league’s highest-paid pass rushers, Carl Lawson of the New York Jets, tore his Achilles last August.
Lawson then missed the entire 2021 campaign and some wondered whether he’d ever be the same at age 27. Through an intense and vigorous training regimen, the NYJ star looks to be back to his old self this summer, but it wasn’t easy.
That recovery process could prove twice as destructive for an older football player like Dunlap if a major injury ever occurred. Take it slow, no reason to take any chances during the preseason.
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Karlaftis Is Way Ahead of Schedule
On the bright side, first-round draft pick George Karlaftis continues to shine throughout summer football. The D-end registered his second preseason sack against the Washington Commanders and this time, the rookie even had a celebration prepared.
“Man, I’m ecstatic,” teammate Frank Clark told reporters. “Every time George do something great out there, I’m happy for him. And you wanna be, that’s a rookie in the league coming into a hard league where you don’t really know what’s going on. He’s just trying to find his way and it’s dope just seeing him every week, week to week, doing what he has to do in the games. People don’t see the work that he’s putting in on the Monday through Friday, with games being on Saturday right now. But he’s putting in a lot of work through[out] the week and it’s showing up for him in the game.”
Pro Football Focus has credited the Purdue product with five quarterback pressures and two sacks on just 34 pass-rushing snaps.
“It’s a challenge every play,” Karlaftis commented after the game. “Playing against the best of the best here and it’s a great challenge. I love it and just got to keep getting better. There’s stuff everybody’s got to improve on.”
The rookie’s emergence lessens the need for Dunlap to be ready right away. A combination of Clark, Karlaftis, and Mike Danna among others should be enough to bridge the gap if this Achilles issue becomes a long-term problem.
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