The Kansas City Chiefs won't have left tackle Josh Simmons against MIami, but CB Mansoor Delane will play.
The Kansas City Chiefs injury report has been a bit of a running soap opera since OTAs, and that continues to be the case this week as they prepare to play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
Most of the controversy has been about the ongoing status of quarterback Patrick Mahome, but now the players in the spotlight are left tackle Josh Simmons and cornerback Mansoor Delane.
The simple version of this part of the report is that Delane is in and Simmons is out, but the ramifications are a lot more complicated. Simmons absence has put the performance of rookie left tackle Kahlil Benson, while Delane certainly hasn’t hurt the performance of a secondary that has been surprisingly strong.
As for the rest of the Chiefs, the reports included the issues of defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (quad), linebacker Jeff Bassa (shoulder), defensive back Jadon Canady (knee), linebacker Jack Cochrane (calf), defensive back Jaden Hicks (biceps), defensive tackle Chris Jones (calf), receiver Rashee Rice (knee), cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (knee), with all of these players and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) officially off the injury report and set to play.
The Dolphins report was much more specific. Miami will be down a wide receiver as Caleb Douglas won’t play, as the Dolphins’ third-round pick is dealing with an ankle injury.
It’s a significant loss, as Douglas is tied for the team lead with seven receptions and leads the team with 113 receiving yards. Malik Washington, Chris Bell, Jalen Tolbert, and Kevin Coleman are the other receivers on the active roster in Miami.
Coach Jeff Hafley also said that running back/kick returner Jaylen Wright is doubtful to play. Wright has been limited in practice this week with a foot injury and a stinger.
None of this should make a difference in what’s expected to be a fairly non-competitive game. Chiefs are back at 2-0 as they continue to recover from a down year, while Miami has scored just 26 points for the season in their losses to the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.
But this is a home game for Miami, so the possibility of a trap game is definitely on the table for Kansas City. They’ll be looking to get out front and demoralize the Dolphins, which hasn’t been all that hard to do so far as Miami continues to look like a team that could struggle to win a half-dozen games.
