Players who could step up in Week 2 given KC Chiefs injuries

Sep 11, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (21) tackles Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (83) in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (21) tackles Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (83) in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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Trey Smith #65 of the Kansas City Chiefs (Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images)
Trey Smith #65 of the Kansas City Chiefs (Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images) /

Trey Smith, Right Guard

One injury that may have slipped through the cracks was Trey Smith departing the game because of an ankle injury. One reason that I think this wasn’t a bigger story was that the Chiefs’ offensive line had a solid game in spite of Smith not playing for a decent chunk.

At the time of writing this article, there hasn’t been any news about Smith, outside of “wait and see”, but I theorize that Smith is closer to 100% than in trouble. Even if he was to miss some time, I don’t foresee him landing on injured reserve and missing a bunch of games. At worst, he could miss the next couple of games, but more than that would be a little bit of a surprise. I’m only reading between the lines and am, of course, not a medical professional, so it’s possible that his injury is more serious than initially thought.

If Trey Smith cannot play on Thursday versus the Chargers, the obvious replacement is Nick Allegretti. Allegretti played 56% of the offensive snaps against the Cardinals and played very well coming off of the bench. If he is the man at right guard for Kansas City, the team shouldn’t be too concerned. Although the Chargers have a talented defensive line, having Nick Allegretti at right guard definitely does not put them at a huge disadvantage. No matter the outcome on Thursday, it’s unlikely that right guard will be the difference either way.