Coming into the regular season, the K.C. Chiefs were looking quite healthy after a season in which some positions, especially the offensive front was decimated. While the team is still looking solid on the injury front overall, especially when compared to other franchises like the Baltimore Ravens, there are some serious injury concerns emerging as Week 3 comes into view against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The primary issue for the Chiefs overall health is that the injuries at present that are most impactful are all on the defensive side. That’s bad news for a unit that’s still very much a work-in-progress, and some of the best overall players on defense might not be able to play at all.
During the team’s first two games, the defense has looked abysmal. Only five teams have allowed more points than the Chiefs (65) so far, and the Chiefs have given up more yardage through Week 2 than any other team in the NFL (by 42 yards). The Chiefs are even allowing 7.6 yards per play (by far the worse).
While it’s easy to point to their competitors in that time and acknowledge the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens are both strong teams with Super Bowl hopes, the reality is that every team is going to bring their best against the Chiefs this season in an effort to knock off the odds-on favorites.
Let’s look at the biggest injury concerns for the Chiefs on the day and how it might affect their ability to get the best of the Chargers in Week 3.