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When the Kansas City Chiefs took to the practice field on Tuesday, August 22, one notable player was on the field and practiced in full capacity:
Third-year defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton.
Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride was at practice and made note of Wharton’s attendance on Twitter, which was recently rebranded to “X”.
After tearing his ACL early in the 2022 regular season, Wharton began 2023 training camp on the active/PUP list. Because he was on the active/PUP list he was eligible to be activated whenever he was healthy enough to play, which is why he was activated on August 2.
Prior to Tuesday’s session, Wharton had missed five straight practices due to knee swelling and hadn’t logged a full practice since August 10. So, being a full participant in Tuesday’s practice is a good sign that Wharton is returning to full health.
This is big news for the Chiefs. With Chris Jones still holding out for a new contract, the defending Super Bowl champions need all the help they can get along the interior defensive line.
Wharton, who started alongside Jones in 2022 prior to his injury, will likely take some reps during Kansas City’s preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, August 26 as long as his knee doesn’t flare up again.
Tershawn Wharton a Breakout Candidate
Tershawn Wharton, 25, entered the NFL undrafted out of Missouri S&T in 2020. He joined the Chiefs after the draft that year, and his athleticism helped him carve out a role in Kansas City’s defense as a rookie.
During his rookie season, Wharton played in all 16 regular season games and registered 27 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits, and 2 sacks while playing 48% of the team’s defensive snaps according to Pro Football Reference.
During the 2021 season, Wharton had similar production, as he recorded 29 tackles, 2 quarterback hits, and 2 sacks in 17 regular season games played. He also had 1 tackle for loss, 1 quarterback hit, and 1 sack in three playoff games that season.
In the five games Wharton played prior to his season-ending injury in 2022, he registered 8 tackles, 4 quarterback hits, and 1 tackle for loss while playing 44% of the team’s defensive snaps, which ranked second-most among Kansas City’s defensive tackles last season.
Having shown steady improvement since his rookie season, Wharton is primed to potentially break out in 2023 if he can stay on the field for the entirety of the season.
Isiah Pacheco Took Big Step in Injury Recovery
Speaking of injured Chiefs players — second-year running back Isiah Pacheco took a big step in his injury recovery as well prior to Kansas City’s preseason finale.
Monday, August 21 was the first time this summer Pacheco was seen on the practice field without a non-contact jersey on. It was also the first time this summer that he took reps with the first-team offense, per ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
After Monday’s session, head coach Andy Reid was asked if Pacheco could play in the preseason finale.
“There’s a chance, yeah. There’s a chance,” Reid said during his press conference. “He’s just got to be cleared and all that.”
On Tuesday, Pacheco said he “wouldn’t mind” playing in the preseason finale and noted that “he stays ready so he doesn’t have to get ready” in terms of being in football shape, according to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.
