The Kansas City Chiefs are still in town for a bit longer, as the team won’t leave for Germany until Thursday. That leaves a pair of in-house team workouts for everyone to get prepared for a Sunday matchup against the Miami Dolphins, a game that could have seeding implications come playoff time in a couple of months.
On Wednesday morning, head coach Andy Reid led off his media availability by providing an injury update on several of his players.
#Chiefs injury updates from head coach Andy Reid:
WR Richie James’ 21-day practice window has officially been opened.
Patrick Mahomes’ hand is doing “well” and “better.” Flu is gone.
Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. is “making progress” and is likely to avoid IR.
— Jordan Foote (@footenoted) November 1, 2023
Not participating in practice on Wednesday are linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and running back Jerick McKinnon. Gay, who logged 29 defensive snaps over the weekend against the Denver Broncos and recorded three tackles, suffered a tailbone injury. When asked whether the fourth-year man was a likely injured reserve candidate, Reid said Gay should avoid going on the list. While he isn’t back at practice, that bodes well for his potential availability moving forward even if he ends up being out this week.
McKinnon has been nursing a groin injury in the recent past. The ailment held him out of last Thursday’s practice, although he was a full participant on Wednesday and Friday. He played through the pain or discomfort in Week 8, getting three touches in Denver. This Wednesday’s non-participation falls in accordance with being more of a precautionary measure on the team’s behalf because McKinnon is one of the oldest players on the roster and is a frequent member of the injury report list.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes battled the flu last weekend but played on Sunday anyway, albeit with one of his worst performances of the season. The superstar signal-caller also got his hand stepped on during the game, which led to the training staff putting a glove over it to close things out. The good news for Mahomes is that Reid said he’s symptom-free and the hand is doing better.
Lastly, the practice window has officially been opened for wide receiver Richie James. The veteran hasn’t played since Week 2 due to a knee injury and earlier this week, he and the Chiefs were reportedly exploring trade possibilities. Now past the trade deadline, the 28-year-old now has 21 days of practice eligibility before the team must fully activate him off IR and add him to the active roster. This week’s subsequent injury reports will shed more light on each player’s respective injury.
