If you were wondering where Marquez Valdes-Scantling was during the Chiefs’ last preseason game, he’s been placed in the team’s concussion protocol.
The bad news is that the Kansas City Chiefs have a fair number of key players nursing some injuries right now. The good news is that they have more than two weeks before anyone absolutely needs to be healthy again when they face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 to open the NFL season.
On Thursday, the Chiefs added a few new players to their list of ailing players, but one player who was already missing in action was also given an injury designation when head coach Andy Reid told reporters that wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling had not been at practice nor playing in the team’s final preseason game due to being placed in the team’s concussion protocol.
The Chiefs hosted the visiting Green Bay Packers on Thursday night for their final tune-up before the regular season begins and lost a few players to injury. Rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie was lost to the concussion protocol as well early in the game, while tight end Matt Bushman fractured his clavicle on a night where he was the offensive hero with two touchdown receptions. The Chiefs also watched Malik Herring strain his oblique and Jerrion Ealy was having a knee injury examined as well.
For the Chiefs, it’s been a positive month with the way first-team units have performed in limited action, but they’ve also lost Blake Bell to a hip injury, JuJu Smith-Schuster to a knee injury, and Carlos Dunlap is nursing an Achilles issue. Chris Jones has also had back problems. Derrick Gore was placed on injured reserve. Lucas Niang will start the year on the PUP list.
The Chiefs signed Valdes-Scantling to a three-year contract earlier this spring in the wake of trading Tyreek Hill. Valdes-Scantling’s arrival was part of an overhaul of the wide receiver position intended to add diversity and depth to the team’s offensive targets.
Last year, Valdes-Scantling had 26 catches for 430 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns for the Packers in 11 games.