The Kansas City Chiefs will be without pass rusher Tamba Hali for the first six weeks of the regular season at least as he stays on the PUP list.
Tamba Hali will remain on the Kansas City Chiefs’ Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) into the regular season. It’s a familiar spot he’s already occupied for the entirely of training camp and the team’s preseason.
Earlier this offseason, Hali took to Twitter to complain publicly about how much he was used in the team’s playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, saying that he should have received more snaps because he was healthy. It seemed as if Hali was going to play a serious role this year for the Chiefs success, but now it’s going to be a delayed response because Hali apparently wasn’t healthy after all.
The move puts Hali’s long-term health into question. It’s not a surprise to see a veteran like Hali not practice one or two days per week compared to younger players. He also took off last preseason in much the sam way. But for him to sit out the first third or more of the regular season is a new idea. However, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star seems more optimistic:
"Hali hasn’t practiced or played all preseason, and this will allow him to essentially rest and train for the first six weeks of the season before joining the team in October. It’s a way to conserve a veteran who can still contribute."
Hopefully Paylor is right, that this is just a move about rest and roster strategy more than a real serious health concern for Hali. The veteran still has plenty left in tank to get after the passer as illustrated by his efficiency last year. Hali has 89.5 sacks in his NFL career, all with the Chiefs.