KC Chiefs vs. Raiders Roster News: KC Makes RB Move, Losing Jerick McKinnon
The Kansas City Chiefs have made their final roster moves ahead of their Christmas matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, and there's more bad news at the running back position for KC.
The Chiefs are placing running back Jerick McKinnon on injured reserve, according to the team. McKinnon will be out a minimum of four weeks, giving him a chance to return during KC's playoff run, depending on the nature of his injury.
McKinnon was ruled out due to a groin injury heading into the game against the Raiders. The team did not provide other details regarding McKinnon's injury throughout the week. Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest tweeted that "McKinnon's groin injury will keep him out longer than originally anticipated."
In a corresponding move, the Chiefs signed practice squad running back La'Mical Perine to the active roster, adding him to the team's 53-man roster after he spent the first 15 weeks on KC's practice squad. Perine made an impact in the preseason, earning him a practice squad spot after being let go during preseason roster cutdowns.
The Chiefs had already used all three available standard practice squad elevations on Perine and fellow practice squad running back Deneric Prince. Perine has played just five offensive snaps with one carry for one yard and one incomplete target. Prince never played an offensive snap.
If the pattern holds for Perine, he likely won't see the field much unless Isiah Pacheco or Clyde Edwards-Helaire suffer injuries down the stretch. However, with Pacheco coming off shoulder surgery and Edwards-Helaire's history of injuries at a violent position, a third running back is a necessity, and the Chiefs have chosen Perine to be the team's third back for the rest of the regular season.
The Chiefs also activated defensive tackle Mike Pennel and wide receiver/return specialist Montrell Washington from the practice squad via standard elevation, making them both eligible to play against the Raiders.
What should Chiefs fans expect for Jerick McKinnon's timeline?
Speculatively, it does not bode well that the team would put McKinnon on IR with only three regular-season games remaining, ensuring that he would also miss at least Wild Card weekend to begin the NFL playoffs.
With the four-week minimum and then a 21-day practice window for bringing a player off injured reserve, even short IR stints often turn into longer absences. Though the Chiefs did need the roster spot to sign Perine to the active roster, the team certainly would have preferred to carry McKinnon as a weekly scratch if they believed he'd have a chance to return after just two or three weeks away. It will be a challenge for McKinnon to return even deep into a potential playoff run.
We likely won't learn anything else about the team's timeline for McKinnon until head coach Andy Reid speaks to the media in his postgame press conference following Chiefs vs. Raiders on Monday.
