Chiefs news: Chris Conley returns, Trent McDuffie injury update

On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs brought back receiver Chris Conley to the practice squad, and Trent McDuffie’s return became a little more clear, among other news.

On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs brought back a familiar face to their practice squad and also heard some good news on the injury front. In other news, only one player on the active roster did not practice on Thursday because of an injury.

First, and seemingly out of nowhere, Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest posted that ex-Kansas City wide receiver Chris Conley had been signed to the practice squad. Conley was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft and spent four years with the team before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2019 offseason.

Conley totaled 112 catches, 1,299 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns in 58 career regular season and playoff games with Kansas City. In addition to the Jaguars, Conley has also spent all of the 2021 season and the first month of the 2022 campaign with the Houston Texans before being released a couple of days ago.

Conley was never a big-time receiver for the Chiefs in the passing game but was a solid blocker in the running game and was also a huge part in one of the most famous plays of Patrick Mahomes’ career so far:

Conley will likely just be limited to a body in practice and fans shouldn’t expect him to suit up on game day anytime soon, barring an injury.

In other news, FanSided/Arrowhead Addict’s own Matt Verderame reported that rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie has a real chance to return from injured reserve  and play against the  Buffalo Bills next week:

McDuffie was placed on injured reserve several weeks ago due to a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. That move required him to miss a minimum of four weeks, and since that was three weeks ago, he is eligible to be activated from IR as soon as this upcoming Tuesday after the Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.

A return of Trent McDuffie next weekend would be critical as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills come to town. Buffalo boasts one of the best passing offenses in the NFL so Kansas City would be bolstering its depth at cornerback at the perfect time. He had a very strong NFL debut as he was not targeted a single time in 21 coverage snaps against Arizona but whether he’ll be at full-strength next weekend is still in question, if he is even activated. Even if he does dress for the Buffalo game, it’s not a guarantee he will start or play anything more than a limited role, since hamstring injuries are often very sensitive for cornerbacks and the Chiefs may opt to wean McDuffie back slowly.

In other injury news, according to the Chiefs injury report from Thursday, kicker Harrison Butker (left ankle) and center Creed Humphrey (personal reasons) were the only players on the active roster to not practice. Right guard Trey Smith (pectoral) was limited but everyone else participated fully.

Defensive end Mike Danna (calf) has missed the past two games, so seeing him practicing in full is a great sign for Monday. A healthy Butker would be key for Kansas City as they don’t want to have to rely upon a relatively unproven kicker in Matthew Wright to attempt a field goal/extra point at a vital part of a game.