Anthony Hitchens injury update: Chiefs linebacker goes to locker room

The Kansas City Chiefs already labeled Anthony Hitchens as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Browns and he left the field early on Sunday.

Inside linebacker Anthony Hitchens was already listed as questionable for the Kansas City Chiefs coming into the team’s Week 9 game on the road against the Cleveland Browns. His availability is now further in question given the news that he’s been helped off the field to the locker room early in the first quarter.

Hitchens sat out practice this week for the Chiefs in part due to seriously bruised ribs. It was a surprise to even see him starting on Sunday for the Chiefs, but many fans took that as good news that maybe Hitchens had healed quickly.

Hitchens is the Chiefs leading tackler so far this season after coming over from the Dallas Cowboys in a major free agent score for general manager Brett Veach. Hitchens’ deal goes for five years and he was brought in to be the new centerpiece to the defensive core as the team let longtime veteran Derrick Johnson walk this offseason.

The Chiefs have been hurting at linebacker overall with the news that Frank Zombo and Justin Houston are also out for the game. Turning inside, the Chiefs will rely on Reggie Ragland to hold down one spot in the middle of the base defense while Ben Niemann and Dorian O’Daniel, both rookies, will be relied upon to spell Hitchens as long as he can’t make it back onto the field.

Hitchens has 71 total tackles on the year so far for the Chiefs through eight games.