Lucas Niang can return to practice for Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have begun the process of getting Lucas Niang back on the field as he opens his practice window heading into Week 9.

It still might be a while before fans see the return of offensive tackle Lucas Niang to the field for the Kansas City Chiefs, but the good news that came out on Wednesday was that the journey had begun after missing every game before the team’s bye in Week 8 due to injury.

When Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters on Wednesday, he noted that Niang was ready to begin practice.

Niang has been on the Physically Unable to Play list for the entire ’22 season so far as he continues to work his way back from a torn patellar tendon. The PUP list allows the team to keep Niang around without taking a roster spot, and once ready for practice, the team has a three-week window in which they either must activate him to the roster or else revert him to injured reserve for the full year.

At this point, the Chiefs will now take a close look at Niang and how he fares in practice as he makes his way back from such a serious injury.

This is good news for Niang. He was eligible to come off of the PUP list after the team’s fourth game, so he clearly needed more time. The fact that he’s now ready means the Chiefs’ training/medical staff have cleared him for more responsibility and it comes at an ideal time. The Chiefs could use some help outside at right tackle especially as they prepare for the stretch run, and Niang will need time to get back into game shape.

Whether or not Niang will be ready or able to take over for Andrew Wylie outside is a question yet to be answered, but the very possibility of competition upgrading this position is a good thing for a team that’s already shown they can be successful playing through such concerns.

Niang was the Chiefs’ third-round pick back in the 2020 NFL Draft, and with a deferred season due to COVID-19, the tackle still has two years left on his initial rookie deal. Some positive momentum this year could be very meaningful for the present and the future.