3 Chiefs players who need to get healthy during bye week
By Matt Conner
Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have been given some time to relax during the bye, let’s look at the players who needed it most.
There are a few players that the Kansas City Chiefs are counting on to get well now that they are in the bye. Those players are clearly obvious since they’ve missed time recently or have yet to play at all this year. It’s a list that includes cornerbacks like Trent McDuffie and Rashad Fenton, tight end Blake Bell, and offensive lineman Lucas Niang.
But the bye week isn’t just for bringing guys back who have been misssing. Instead, there are also numerous Chiefs players who’ve been gritting their teeth while playing the last week or two, hoping to finally get a week of rest. Let’s look at the walking wounded, one from each facet of the Chiefs roster, to see who else the bye will help out this season.
Trey Smith, OL
When the Chiefs drafted Trey Smith in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, they knew they were getting a beast up front, a road grader whose toughness and competitive drive elevate his game significantly. While Smith was part of a complete overhaul of the offenisve line for Kansas City, a remade line that also included free agent signing Joe Thuney and rookie center Creed Humphrey, there was enough of a spotlight on Smith to know he brought something special all his own.
After a full year in the NFL, time spent adjusting to pro-level conditioning and film work, you’d think Smith would be a sleeper Pro Bowl candidate or at least someone on their way to that level. Instead, Smith has been solid, which is fine but certainly a disappointment after last year’s campaign.
The problem here very well might be (and likely is) a series of injuries to open the year. For the last few weeks, Smith has dealt with a pectoral injury suffered against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This comes on the heels of an ankle injury that persisted during the first weeks of the season. For those wanting to see growth from a mauler, playing through two early injuries is not going to help.