Chiefs vs. Bengals Inactives: Who's In, Who's Out?
On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals will square off in what's shaping up to be a critical Week 17 contest. Both teams have playoff seeding implications on the line, although Cincinnati has yet to officially clinch a playoff spot. The Chiefs, on the other hand, have locked up the AFC West and are looking to secure the AFC's lone bye week with a win and a Tennessee Titans loss.
Heading into the game, both teams are in decent spots health-wise. There isn't much star power set to miss any action on Sunday, which bodes well for two of the AFC's best teams. Two of the league's most explosive offenses are set to go to war but barring a tie, only one can emerge victoriously.
Ahead of this Week 17 matchup, the Chiefs' list of inactive players has been released:
On Saturday, the Chiefs announced that running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire would be out for today's game due to a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 16's win over the Steelers. The team also activated veteran running back Jerick McKinnon from the injured reserve list, and he's set to make his return after battling a hamstring injury over the past several weeks.
Overall, the team is getting plenty of help back in the fold this week. Tight end Travis Kelce, linebacker Nick Bolton, offensive lineman Lucas Niang, kicker Harrison Butker and punter Tommy Townsend are among the multitude of players who missed last week's game. They will all be welcomed additions back into the team's starting lineup.
EARLY IN-GAME UPDATE: Per James Palmer of NFL Network, Chiefs starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. exited warmups with a calf injury and didn't return out of the tunnel with the team. "My understanding is he's getting looked at. Something his bothering him," he added. The Chiefs then gave Brown a questionable designation shortly thereafter. Brown did not begin the game with the team, and Lucas Niang got the start at left tackle.
The Bengals' inactives have also been released:
In advance of Sunday's game, the trio of defensive lineman Cam Sample, cornerback Jalen Davis and linebacker Germaine Pratt was already ruled out. There aren't many surprises here for Cincinnati, although not having Pratt in the lineup is a significant loss. For a team that doesn't have many playmakers at the linebacker spot, being without arguably its best one will make a tall task — stopping the Chiefs' offense — even more difficult to handle. Luckily, the return of Logan Wilson does inject a good deal of talent into the second level of the Bengals' defense.
