De’Anthony Thomas injury update: Chiefs place wide receiver on injured reserve
By Matt Conner
The Kansas City Chiefs have placed wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas on injured reserve after the veteran broke his leg in practice.
The Kansas City Chiefs have already endured a number of new injuries in the last week, especially in the wake of the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but you can add one more to that list in the form of wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas. The Chiefs placed the veteran on injured reserve this week and filled his roster spot by calling up Leon McQuay.
In what has been called a “freak accident,” someone in Chiefs practice accidentally stepped on Thomas’ leg and fractured again the tibia he broke while playing in Week 17 last season. Thomas had a rod surgically inserted last December and took the offseason to heal up. The rod is reportedly fine, which means surgery is not necessary, but Thomas will once again be forced to wait for the bone to heal.
Thomas has played in all five games for the Chiefs so far and is perhaps the team’s single best special teams performer. He has 3 catches for 29 yards and a touchdown so far this season while also providing an option on kick and punt returns. Thomas also leads the team in special teams tackles. Replacing his 24 total snaps per game will be yet another challenge on a team already trying to fill so many holes.
McQuay is a second-year defensive back who was the team’s sixth round choice in the 2017 NFL Draft. McQuay has bounced on and off the roster and practice squad this year but the Chiefs are in desperate need of safety help given other injuries at the safety position in particular.