Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City City Chiefs have released their first injury report for this weekend’s home game against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.
Earlier this week, head coach Romeo Crennel indicated that QB Brady Quinn had a rib injury. When asked if the injury could mean that third-string QB Ricky Stanzi could start, Crennel said it was a “possibility.”
This set off a minor firestorm around “Stanzi Nation.” Ricky has a number of fans from his days at Iowa and there is more than a few Chiefs fans who’d like to see what Stanzi can do in a regular season game.
I find it hard to believe that Crennel would pass over backup Matt Cassel in order to get a look at Stanzi. If there was any hope of Crennel coming back in 2013, I could see him going forward with giving Stanzi a look but as it stands, I think Crennel knows he’s likely doomed and is just trying to win as many games as possible before he rides off into the sunset.Furthermore, Crennel is the second Chiefs head coach in a row, the first being Todd Haley, who has refused to turn to Stanzi when the going got tough. Chances are that means Stanzi has shown so little in practice that Tyler Palko and Brady Quinn/Matt Cassel have been more palatable options for two different head coaches, both with their jobs in jeopardy.
Anyway, today Crennel said that Quinn’s injury was unlikely to keep him from starting Sunday.
The odds that we’ll see Stanzi this season are probably pretty slim. With a new regime likely coming in, one with no ties to Stanzi, the chances that we’ll ever see him in a regular season game for the Chiefs may be dwindling as well.
On to the rest of the injuries. Here’s the damage, courtesy of the KC Star:
"Crennel said cornerback Javier Arenas (ankle) may not practice or would be limited today; center Ryan Lilja (back) would not practice; and tight end Tony Moeaki was to be evaluated for a head injury. Wide receiver Jon Baldwin and backup defensive lineman Jerrell Powe were out with the flu, and backup safety Abe Elam (calf) and backup offensive lineman Russ Hochstein (back) were unlikely to practice."
Oof. Not another head injury for Moeaki! He suffered a nasty concussion his rookie year. It would be bad news if he has another. We’ll keep you updated.