Chiefs Injury Updates Ahead of Game vs. Jaguars
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The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a bye week that allowed them to rest up and not have to play in the first round of the playoffs, but their first postseason test of the year is approaching rapidly.
Kansas City has the Jacksonville Jaguars rolling into town on Saturday in the opening game of the AFC Divisional Round. Doug Pederson and company got down by multiple scores in their Wild Card playoff opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, but they rallied in the second half and in time to secure a thrilling comeback win. Now, quarterback Trevor Lawrence is playing his first road playoff game and will be looking to help the Jaguars upset the Chiefs in a rematch of Week 10's 27-17 Kansas City win.
The bye undoubtedly helped Andy Reid's team, as the Chiefs had multiple players nursing injuries and still do as the week ramps up. Wide receiver Skyy Moore and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed were full participants in practice throughout the week, with questions looming about defensive end Frank Clark, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, tight end Jody Fortson and wideout Mecole Hardman. Reid took the podium on Thursday afternoon to provide some injury updates, starting by announcing that Hardman is expected to be out on Saturday.
This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Hardman didn't practice throughout the week. The fourth-year receiver hasn't played in a game in over two months and had an injured reserve stint due to what was being described initially as an abdominal injury. It's now being listed as a pelvis injury following an aggravation during practice leading up to Week 18's regular-season finale. It appears that Hardman will have to wait at least another week before returning to the lineup — if he does at all.
Both Fortson and Edwards-Helaire, who were designated to return off IR to begin this week of practice, probably won't be activated to the 53-man roster in time to play in the Divisional Round per Reid. Edwards-Helaire is working his way back from a high-ankle sprain but isn't ready yet, and Fortson also returned to practice alongside him this week but was spotted on Wednesday wearing a brace on his left elbow. They, too, will have to wait another week at the least.
In more positive Chiefs injury news, Reid said he spoke to Frank Clark following Thursday's practice and the 29-year-old defensive end said he was feeling "really good." Clark suffered a minor groin strain in Week 18 but at the time, Reid wasn't too worried about his long-term availability. Despite being limited in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, it seems that Clark is trending in a positive direction for Saturday's game.
UPDATE: The Chiefs released their final official injury report for the week on Thursday afternoon, and Hardman was ruled out. Clark, Moore and Sneed had no designations for the game, so they’re set to play.
