Andy Reid dropped the longest injury update of Kansas City Chiefs training camp yet, and it hit hard, especially for the linebacker crew. After a rainy morning practice at Missouri Western State University, the big news wasn’t just about who was out, but who went down during the session, taking players “in the starting mix” off the field.
Linebacker Injuries Stack Up
Things got messy for the Chiefs’ linebackers on Wednesday. Second-year guy Jeffrey Bassa suffered a groin strain, with Reid only saying, “We’ll just see where that goes,” which, you know, isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for a quick return. And then there’s veteran Drue Tranquill, spotted off to the side, dealing with a “little back spasm.” They backed him off for the day. This isn’t just a couple of backups, these are dudes fighting for or already holding down significant snaps. When two players “in the starting mix” are heading to the training tent, that’s a gut punch for any defense. It means the next man up has to be ready, right now.
That “next man up” ended up being veteran Jack Cochrane, who’s in his fifth season with the Chiefs. And if there’s any silver lining to the LB injuries, it’s that Cochrane sounds like he’s built for this. Reid practically gushed about him, saying, “Jack knows all the positions; he knows everything. He’s a good special teams player on top of that. You feel comfortable, as a coach, putting him in any of those spots, and he knows that part of it. You need a couple guys like that out there.” That kind of versatility and trust from the coaching staff is huge when you’re suddenly plugging holes.
Receiver Recovery and Rashee Rice’s Return
It wasn’t all bad news out of St. Joe. The Chiefs are still easing back some key receivers. Rookie Cyrus Allen, out since Monday with a bone bruise, is “making improvement.” Defensive end Ashton Gillotte, sidelined with a hamstring strain since last Friday, is “making progress.” Same goes for Xavier Worthy, who missed his second practice with a shoulder injury. Plus, cornerback Kristian Fulton missed his second consecutive practice with a hip-flexor strain. That’s a lot of bodies off the field, but at least the progress reports sound hopeful.
But the biggest positive was Rashee Rice. After working his way back, he finally participated in full-team, 11-on-11 periods for the first time this camp. That’s a massive step towards him getting back to 100%. Reid noted, “He got a lot of good reps today, which is important. We just have to ease him back in and keep working, and we know he’s a good football player. You could see it actually got better as practice went on.” Getting a dynamic playmaker like Rice back in the mix, even slowly, is huge for the offense.
After three straight days in pads, the Chiefs are looking at a lighter practice Thursday starting at 9:15 a.m. Let’s hope those injury reports shorten up for the next one, because every healthy body counts when you’re building towards the season.
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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