Kansas City Chiefs rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane was ruled out for the remainder of Monday night’s game against the Denver Broncos, with the club announcing the downgrade at the start of the second half in a post on the Chiefs’ social media channels.
The announcement closed the book on a rookie debut that opened with a first-quarter interception and unraveled into the same shoulder trouble that has trailed Delane since the spring.
Mansoor Delane’s Shoulder Injury Monday Night
Delane’s night started on a high note. On Kansas City’s opening defensive series, he stepped in front of a deep third-down throw from Bo Nix intended for Courtland Sutton, intercepted Bo Nix on third down and returned it to the Denver 46-yard line. The play came on just his third NFL snap. Patrick Mahomes converted the turnover into a 15-yard rushing touchdown, and Kansas City grabbed a 7-0 lead.
The night turned quickly from there. Not long after the pick, Delane walked to the locker room, with Kristian Fulton entering the game in his place. The Chiefs soon listed him as questionable to return with a shoulder injury, and reporter Pete Sweeney corroborated the shoulder injury designation shortly after. Linebacker Cooper McDonald also headed to the tunnel around the same stretch with a knee issue.
Roughly 80 minutes after the “questionable” tag, Kansas City’s language changed. The team announced Delane and McDonald had been downgraded to out for the game at the start of the second half. A widely followed NFL insider quickly confirmed Delane had been ruled out for the night.
Kansas City Chiefs Rookie’s Recurring Shoulder Setback
Delane, the No. 6 overall pick out of LSU, first dealt with shoulder trouble right around the end of organized team activities this spring, an ailment that sidelined him from mandatory minicamp in June. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said at the time that Delane had hurt his shoulder and was expected to be ready once training camp opened.
General manager Brett Veach detailed the injury during a radio interview.
“He had a shoulder blade right toward the end of OTAs, and so we don’t think it’s going to be long term or anything, but that has to just completely heal,” Veach said, as quoted by A to Z Sports.
Delane spent much of camp in a yellow non-contact jersey before eventually returning to practice.
“It’s good, just getting better every day,” Delane described his recovery process to reporters in late July, as quoted by NBC Sports‘ Michael David Smith, adding that the original injury stemmed from pushing too hard during offseason workouts.
He was cleared for contact before preseason, according to Sports Illustrated, though RotoWire still listed him as limited entering August.
No team official has specified whether Monday’s injury is a new occurrence or an aggravation of the spring ailment, and Kansas City has not released a severity grade or a timeline for Delane’s return. Reid or another team spokesperson figures to address the rookie’s status, and any further diagnosis, in the days following Monday’s game.
Chiefs Make Unfortunate Mansoor Delane Announcement During Broncos Game