Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid announced on Wednesday morning that rookie defensive tackle Peter Woods, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick this year, would sit out practice with a neck stinger Wednesday, clouding his status for Sunday’s Jets game.
With Kansas City’s pass rush near the bottom of the league in sacks, the injury raises even more questions about Kansas City’s interior depth.
The good news for the Chiefs, however, came when Reid told reporters that Woods is the only player who will miss practice entirely. Everyone else, including cornerback Mansoor Delane, is expected to participate in some capacity.
The injury traces to Kansas City’s Week 8 game against the Denver Broncos. Woods exited in the first half after getting caught up in blocks on a screen play, and the Chiefs ruled him out after he played only three defensive snaps.
Neck problems also appeared on the injury report earlier this season, when Woods was limited ahead of the Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to RotoWire.
Woods’ Career Background With Chiefs
Woods was born March 5, 2005, in Greensboro, Alabama, and stands 6-foot-3 at roughly 310 pounds. He starred at Thompson High School in Alabaster, which won four straight Class 7A state titles from 2019 to 2022.
At Clemson from 2023 to 2025, Woods played 35 games with 24 starts and totaled 84 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. He was a 2023 Freshman All-American and an honorable mention All-ACC pick as a sophomore, then earned first-team All-ACC and second-team All-American honors in 2025. He also scored two rushing touchdowns on offense.
The Chiefs selected him 29th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft with a pick acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the Trent McDuffie trade. He signed a four-year contract worth roughly $18 million.
As a rookie, Woods has appeared in seven games without a start and logged roughly 190 defensive snaps. He has 13 tackles, a half a sack and one pass defended, working mainly as a rotational interior lineman who spells Chris Jones and shares snaps with Khyiris Tonga. He has also logged 26 special teams snaps.
| KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — 2026 SCHEDULE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK | Date | Opponent | H/A | Time / Result | TV / W-L |
| 1 | Mon, Sep 14 | Denver Broncos | Home | W 31-10 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | Indianapolis Colts | Home | W 33-30 OT | 2-0 |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | @ Miami Dolphins | Away | W 24-10 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | @ Las Vegas Raiders | Away | W 30-27 | 4-0 |
| WK 5 — BYE WEEK | |||||
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | Home | W 22-6 | 5-0 |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | @ Seattle Seahawks | Away | L 20-3 | 5-1 |
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | @ Denver Broncos | Away | L 28-24 | 5-2 |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | New York Jets | Home | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | @ Atlanta Falcons | Away | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | Arizona Cardinals | Home | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 12 | Thu, Nov 26 | @ Buffalo Bills | Away | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 13 | Thu, Dec 3 | @ Los Angeles Rams | Away | 5:15 PM | Prime Video |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | @ Cincinnati Bengals | Away | 1:25 PM | FOX |
| 15 | Mon, Dec 21 | New England Patriots | Home | 5:15 PM | ESPN / ABC |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | San Francisco 49ers | Home | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 17 | TBD — Flex Game | @ Los Angeles Chargers | Away | TBD | TBD |
| 18 | TBD — Flex Game | Las Vegas Raiders | Home | TBD | TBD |
| All times Eastern. Home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO. Bye in Week 5. Weeks 17 and 18 are flex games — dates and broadcasts TBD. | |||||
Kansas City Chiefs Defense Without Peter Woods Against New York Jets
The Chiefs host the 2-6 New York Jets on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, and Woods’ status remains day-to-day while he recovers. Neck stingers vary in recovery time, so his availability depends on how the week’s practices and medical updates go.
Woods is a developing rotational piece, so his absence would mainly test Kansas City’s interior depth. Jones and Tonga would absorb more snaps, with Omarr Norman-Lott, recently designated to return from the physically unable to perform list, another option.
Kansas City’s run defense has performed reasonably well through seven games, with opponents averaging 96.3 rushing yards per game, roughly eighth in the NFL, and 3.55 yards per carry. The defense also allows about 18.7 points per game, a top-five mark. Woods plays more often on early downs to spell Jones, though his PFF run-defense grade sits at 43.6.
Pressure on the quarterback has been harder to come by. Kansas City has recorded only nine sacks through seven games, among the fewest in the NFL. George Karlaftis leads the team with two, while Jones has half a sack. Woods has contributed a half a sack and roughly two pressures, so his absence would further thin the interior rush options. His PFF pass-rush grade sits at 59.8, higher than his run-defense mark.
Woods’ status will come into focus as Kansas City holds its remaining practices and releases further injury reports before Sunday’s kickoff against the Jets.
Chiefs Announce Concerning Pete Woods Injury News Before Jets Game