The Kansas City Chiefs lost cornerback Mansoor Delane to a shoulder injury against Denver, but the injury is minro.
The Kansas City Chiefs got some positive news on the injury front after their 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos, as his medicals revealed that the shoulder injury sustained by cornerback Mansoor Delane during the first series isn’t serious, according to a report from Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk that referenced material from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Chiefs got a tantalizing look at Delane’s talent level right out of the gate, as the cornerback picked off an underthrow from quarterback Bo Nix that set the tone for the game. But Delane landed on his shoulder making the play, and that was the end of his evening.
The medicals included X-Rays and CT scans that came back clean, and Delane had an MRI on Monday that revealed the low level of the injury. It’s believed to be the same shoulder injury Delane sustained near the end of OTAs that took him out for minicamp and most of training camp.
The good news was confirmed by coach Andy Reid on Wednesday when he said Delane would take part in the Chiefs first practice of the week, which is usually a good sign that a player is ready to go, with that confirmed in a separate report from Josh Alper of PFT
Reid also noted that left tackle Josh Simmons and Chamarri Connor will be out of practice, Simmons with a back issue and Connor with a knee problem. That likely means that Kahlil Benson will get his second straight start at left tackle after having a strong showing against Denver as the Chiefs used their running game to dominate the Broncos.
The concern with Delane is that shoulder injuries like the one he sustained tend to be recurring events, especially for cornerbacks whose frame is relatively slight. Delane obviously plays a physical style of corner, so look for the Chiefs to protect him, perhaps by lowering his snap count going forward.
Surprisingly, Delane’s presence in the lineup wasn’t missed all that much. Nohl Williams played hard, physical football at the at the other corner, with numerous hits and pass breakups that also helped set the tone as the Chiefs held Nix to just 131 yards passing to go with Delane’s interception.
Kristian Fulton also had some good moments when he was pluggged into the lineup to help replace Delane. Both cornerbacks were also strong against the run as the Chiefs limited the Broncos to just 61 yards on the ground, with 35 of those coming from lead back J.K. Dobbins.
