Justin Houston misses Chiefs practice

The Kansas City Chiefs have almost perfect participation, with the notable exception of outside linebacker Justin Houston.

For the second straight week, Houston might not be playing on Sunday when the Chiefs line up to take on a divisional foe. On Thursday, Kansas City took the practice field with every player ready to go, sans Houston.

Houston has ben dealing with inflammation in his knee since last week after the loss to the Tennessee Titans. In that game, Houston was held without a tackle. One has to wonder whether or not the Chiefs are worried about Houston’s surgically repaired ACL. Perhaps it’s just not coming back the way they thought it would, and maybe he doesn’t come back at all this season.

If that’s the case, it would be a tough blow for the team. However, Kansas City does have Dee Ford and Tamba Hali, which is better than most teams could trot out at full strength.

Hopefully, the coaching and medical staff is simply being cautious and Houston returns in time for their first playoff game, whether that be the Wild Card or Divisional round. Kansas City could certainly use a player who already has four sacks in limited time, including a three-sack showcase against Denver in Week 12.