Defensive end Ashton Gillotte just ruptured his plantar fascia, and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid dropped that bombshell after practice on Thursday like it was no big deal. “Gillotte has a plantar fascia that ruptured,” Reid said, almost nonchalantly. “He won’t play.” For an injury that sounds absolutely brutal for a big D-lineman, that’s a pretty chill vibe from the coach.
The Foot Explodes: Serious Injury, Casual Report?
Hold up, a ruptured plantar fascia isn’t just a “nick-and-bruise,” is it? Back in the 2015 NFL season, Peyton Manning, a Hall of Fame quarterback, partially tore his plantar fascia. That was after a truly terrible performance against the Chiefs where Kansas City grabbed four interceptions in a 29-13 win! Manning had been battling it for weeks, aggravated it right before that game, and reportedly had trouble walking. ESPN even said a partial tear can be more painful to play with than a complete rupture.
So, for Gillotte to have a full rupture, that sounds like a seriously rough deal for a guy who needs to plant and push off constantly. But Reid seemed to wave off any major concerns for Gillotte and other injured Chiefs, including starting right guard Trey Smith with a hip issue. “These aren’t extended injuries; they’ll be back,” Reid insisted. “Just nicks-and-bruises type things. They’re working through them and back going.” We’re still over three weeks out from Week 1, but “nicks-and-bruises” feels like a stretch for a full-on rupture.
Quarterback Shuffle Before Facing Our Hawks
Beyond the injury updates, Reid laid out the plan for his quarterbacks heading into their road exhibition against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Chiefs Kingdom won’t see star Patrick Mahomes under center for at least another week. Instead, Justin Fields will get the start again, taking a quarter and a half. Backup QBs Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokodun will split the rest of the game, with Nussmeier getting a quarter and a half, and Oladokodun finishing out the fourth quarter.
And for those of us in the Emerald City paying attention: When asked if Mahomes might finally play in Preseason Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, Reid just gave a classic coach’s dodge. “We’ll see how it goes,” he said, kicking that can down the road. Looks like our guys might not get a full Mahomes test just yet.
So, the Chiefs are heading to Tampa Bay with a patched-up roster and a full QB rotation on deck. It’ll be interesting to see how Fields looks with an extended run and if any more “nicks-and-bruises” pop up after Saturday night. Keep an eye out for how Gillotte’s recovery timeline actually plays out, because a ruptured plantar fascia is no joke.
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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