The Kansas City Chiefs did not end up needing rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane to eke out an overtime victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football, but that didn’t render his absence less of an enigma.
Delane left the team’s Week 1 blowout of the Denver Broncos after hurting his shoulder on the first interception of his NFL career last Monday night. He did not return to action. However, Delane progressed well enough through the following week of practice that he initially got clearance to play against the Colts in Week 2.
But then the game rolled around, and Delane was nowhere to be found on the gridiron.
Head coach Andy Reid explained what happened and why the CB didn’t play during a press conference on Monday, September 21.
“Chiefs CB Mansoor Delane was in between in terms of being able to play Sunday night, Andy Reid said. Reid explained that the shoulder didn’t improve as much as they expected over the weekend,” Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest reported via X. “Delane wanted to suit up, however, and he could have played if needed.”
Kristian Fulton Stepped in for Mansoor Delane, Tallied INT Against Colts
Kansas City got plenty of good cornerback play besides against the Colts on Sunday, tallying five pass breakups and an interception by Kristian Fulton while holding quarterback Daniel Jones to 210 yards passing and a QBR of 86.8.
All told, the Chiefs (2-0) have been able to get away with minimal participation from Delane since the season began, even though he was the centerpiece of their draft in April. Kansas City traded up from No. 9 to No. 6 to secure the former LSU product.
However, Delane injured his shoulder during the offseason and missed part of training camp as well as a preseason game. He hurt the same joint early in Week 1, which ended up sidelining him in Week 2.
Based on the reports, Delane has a good chance to return to action for the first leg of a two-game road trip that will take Kansas City to Miami to play the Dolphins on Sunday, September 27 and then to Las Vegas for an AFC West Division matchup against the undefeated Raiders.
Kenneth Walker III Proving Most Important Addition to Chiefs This Season
While Delane will eventually get his chance to prove how valuable of an offseason pick-up he was, the best newcomer award in Kansas City through two weeks clearly belongs to running back Kenneth Walker III.
Walker has tallied 47 rush attempts for 290 yards, both of which lead the league through Week 2 with just one game remaining on the schedule between the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants on Monday night. Walker has added one TD on the ground, as well as nine receptions for 79 yards and one score.
Perhaps even more importantly, he has changed the way defenses must scheme and attack the Chiefs offense, which has helped quarterback Patrick Mahomes look more like his old self even despite returning in Week 1 nine months to the day after suffering an ACL tear in December of last year.
Chiefs Give Detailed Explanation on CB Mansoor Delane Mystery