John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Another day, another Jamaal Charles injury post. It’s all just part of life in Chiefs Kingdom, right, addicts?
Another day another good news-bad news scenario to report. Also, another report that you definitely should not worry to much about.
Alright, we’ll just get to it.
Per Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, the Chiefs say Charles is fine, but he’s likely not going to play in this Friday’s preseason game against the 49ers:
"Running back Jamaal Charles is not practicing Wednesday for the second straight day after suffering a minor foot strain Monday.The team has said Charles will be fine. But he very likely will be held out of Friday’s preseason game against San Francisco as a precaution. I’d expect Charles to be ready to go early next week."
Really, if you’ve been following this you should know this isn’t a huge deal. The Chiefs have played it safe with injuries during camp, and this is simply just a precaution.
Reports yesterday stated that Charles was walking just fine and without a boot, and if you missed it, head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder deemed him day to day with an ankle strain.
Judging by what many of you are saying in the comments here on AA, this shouldn’t be a huge problem. If he doesn’t play, Charles will be able to rest, and that’s going to be great for the healing process.
This would also give the Chiefs an opportunity to work on the depth chart behind Charles, and that’s what many of you would like to see.
Rookie Knile Davis could use all the reps he can get, and just imagine what a good game against San Francisco would do for his confidence and growth as an NFL running back. This could also be an opportunity for Shaun Draughn and Cyrus Gray to get some looks in big spots during the game.
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
You never want to see your star running back out, but there is a silver lining here.
1. It’s the preseason.
2. Charles seems to be just fine, and this is cautionary.
3. Depth at running back is integral, and this will allow the backups to get some reps.
So yes, Charles may not play Friday night, but in actuality, that may not be a bad thing for the Chiefs.