The Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line just took another hit, with Matt Waletzko injuring his knee during Monday’s training camp practice. This news comes after their first preseason game, where offensive tackle Chu Godrick sprained his ankle, sidelining him from practice too. It’s an early-season gut punch for a critical unit.
O-Line Depth Is Already Getting Tested Big Time
Things are looking a bit thin up front for the Chiefs. After Godrick went down, Waletzko’s knee injury piled on the concern, and Esa Pole had to leave practice due to dehydration. That’s three reserve offensive linemen unavailable by the end of Monday’s session. It got so bad that starting left tackle Josh Simmons had to jump in for the third team! You never want to see your starters taking snaps with the third unit, even in camp. It just highlights how quickly depth can disappear.
And if that wasn’t enough, right guard Trey Smith is still working off to the side in the medical tent. Head coach Andy Reid said Smith is “doing good” and “getting close,” but it doesn’t sound like we’ll see him back on the field before the Chiefs leave St. Joe after Thursday’s final practice. Losing a starting guard for even this long in preseason is a headache, and with these other guys dropping, you just have to wonder when the injury luck will turn around.
Rookies Stepping Up and Other Aches
It wasn’t all bad news on the injury front, though. While reserve safety DeShon Singleton tweaked his hamstring and veteran linebacker Jack Cochrane’s knee was an issue (though he finished practice, thankfully), there was a major bright spot: rookie Mansoor Delane. The No. 6 overall pick finally participated in a full-contact practice for the first time this preseason! Delane was lining up as the starting cornerback opposite Nohl Williams for the first-team defense, which is huge.
Reid was buzzing about Delane, saying, “He did everything and was in all the drills… He looked good; it was good work for him.” Doctors have checked him out, and it looks like he’s healing up well enough to play at full speed. This is exactly what you want to see from a top draft pick. Now, it’s all about monitoring him as he ramps up, because he hasn’t taken this many reps before. Besides the active injuries, guys like wide receiver Jimmy Holiday, safety Chamarri Conner, and linebackers Kader Kohou and Drue Tranquill also sat out, dealing with various issues.
The Chiefs have their final practice on Thursday before wrapping up in St. Joe. What happens next with these offensive linemen is gonna be key. Will Smith make a quicker return than expected? Can the other guys heal up before the regular season really kicks off? And how will Delane handle the increased workload? Everyone’s gonna be watching these guys closely.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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