Another week in the books means another pair of Kansas City Chiefs players are being checked out for serious injuries. This time for concussions.
The Kansas City Chiefs came into Week 6 already hurting from a number of injuries. After the game, head coach Andy Reid updated the media on yet another two players who could now enter the concussion protocol for the Chiefs in a week where they could use all of the healthy players they could get. Unfortunately top wide receiver Tyreek Hill and running back Charcandrick West might not be available for the Chiefs on Thursday night when they suit up after a short week to face the Oakland Raiders.
Charcandrick West is being evaluated for a concussion, and so is Tyreek Hill, per Andy Reid.
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) October 15, 2017
Charcandrick West went down after being hit in the helmet by another helmet—that of Steelers defender Mike Mitchell. Tyreek Hill went down late in the fourth quarter when returning a punt to keep the Chiefs in the game and took another helmet-to-helmet hit on the sideline.
The loss of West will mean that the Chiefs are missing every veteran running back available to work in tandem with rookie running back Kareem Hunt. Hunt has been very impressive as a rookie, but it’s also clear that teams are keying in on him each week, making it tougher for him to generate the sort of yards he did in his first few games of the year. Perhaps the team could turn to free agent C.J. Spiller if West cannot make it.
The tougher hit will be if Hill cannot suit up. The Chiefs are already razor-thin at wide receiver since Chris Conley is also out for the season and Albert Wilson has been hurt as well. The Chiefs released Jeremy Maclin earlier in the offseason which already made the wide receiver corps among the most inexperienced in the NFL. Now some players like DeMarcus Robinson and Jehu Chesson will need to step up in a primetime game pitting two rivals together for an important divisional contest.