Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jamaal Charles is practicing this afternoon, but the Chiefs’ star running back did admit that he’s still feeling soreness in his right foot and leg.
Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star reported on Charles’ status via Twitter:
J. Charles answered questions before practice. “Playing in the NFL you get weird injuries. This is one of the weird injuries I’ve had."
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) August 18, 2013
Charles will practice today: “I told (trainer Rick Burkholder) that I can’t just be waiting and waiting and waiting . . .
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) August 18, 2013
More Charles: "I’ve got to get the reps and continue to see how I feel, whether it’s getting better or worse.’’
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) August 18, 2013
That’s really not much insight from Charles. Of course he wants to get back on the field and reps are important, especially considering the Chiefs’ have a new signal-caller in Alex Smith. The quarterback to running back transaction is integral, so the same could be said for those reps.
It seemed like a run-of -the-mill update on Charles, but then Teicher tweeted this:
Charles said he still had some soreness in his right foot and leg
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) August 18, 2013
Before you freak out (again) let’s discuss this. In football there’s a big difference between being injured and being hurt, and there’s a huge difference between being hurt and sore.
Soreness can be taken care of by stretching, icing and rest. Obviously the Chiefs feel rest isn’t necessary anymore, so one can safely assume that the soreness isn’t all that bad. Knowing Andy Reid’s responses to injuries this preseason, if there was even a chance Charles couldn’t go, he wouldn’t be out there practicing. Charles was definitely hurt last week, but he wasn’t injured. Keeping him out was more precautionary than anything.
It’s been almost week since Charles hurt his leg, so the fact that he’s still sore isn’t that surprising.
Hopefully he’ll be able to work that soreness out this week and be close to 100 percent when the Chiefs head over to Pittsburgh.