Over the last couple practices, the K.C. Chiefs have watched their defensive cornerstone Frank Clark sit out with a hamstring injury in his left leg. Head coach Andy Reid, however, doesn’t seem all that concerned.
#Chiefs DL Frank Clark aggravated his hamstring in practice today and will undergo an MRI, source said, but with over three weeks to recover before the Sept. 12 opener, there’s optimism he’ll be ready to go.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 17, 2021
Hamstring injuries are pretty common in linemen, who are often tasked with overloading leg muscles with explosive bursts of movement that can cause these muscles to react. Alex Okafor has already missed time in training camp for the Chiefs with a hamstring injury, as has Taco Charlton. There are likely further concerns to come as players deal with the rigors of the preseason and a long regular season.
Frank Clark has missed the last couple practices in training camp with a hamstring injury.
On Wednesday, Reid spoke with reporters after Clark had missed another practice—the very last practice to be held at Missouri Western State University for this year’s training camp—and stated that he doesn’t believe it’s serious. That’s good news that it’s like a low-grade strain that will simply allow for rest to do the work of recovery.
Clark is the single most expensive player on the Chiefs this season with a salary cap hit of $25.8 million. Not a single other player is even at $20 million, with Tyrann Mathieu coming in next at $19M. That means expectations are high for Clark to hit the ground running and produce consistently in the team’s pass rush for the first time since he arrived. Clark has been a beast in the postseason, especially in the team’s Super Bowl run, but he’s also endured criticism for lackluster stats overall.
If Clark is somehow unable to go when the time comes to begin the season against the Cleveland Browns, the Chiefs have been using Chris Jones outside in a bit of preseason experimentation. Aforementioned veterans like Okafor and Charlton could also see increased reps if Clark can’t go. However, the emergence of Tim Ward this preseason and the improvements for both Turk Wharton and Mike Danna make this group a bit deeper than originally expected.
Clark has 66 tackles, 14 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 interception in his two seasons in Kansas City.