Ranking KC Chiefs biggest injury concerns heading into Super Bowl LVII

4. JuJu Smith-Schuster

If you’re looking for some good news on this list that’s going to get increasingly frustrating, then you’ve come to the right place. Earlier this week, Andy Reid stated that he was “very optimistic” about the chances of JuJu Smith-Schuster being able to play on Super Bowl Sunday.

This is an important injury concern for the Chiefs at this stage for a number of reasons, and it begins with the overall health of the position. Wide receiver at this stage is almost to the point where a free agent signing could come up with reps in the Super Bowl—that is, if the Chiefs can’t get back some depth from the injured list. Remember, by the end of the AFC title game, the only healthy receivers on K.C.’s sideline were Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and Marcus Kemp.

But Smith-Schuster is not just any wide receiver here, of course. He is the Chiefs best wide receiver, their most reliable pass-catching weapon outside of Travis Kelce. In a matchup like this against a top-flight defense with significant talent and depth at all three levels, the Chiefs will need another dependable weapon like Smith-Schuster.

We’re glad to hear about Reid’s optimism, but we also know how a knee injury like this can be tweaked rather easily. Here’s hoping the initial injury wasn’t that bad, because the Chiefs will need Smith-Schuster for significant reps and targets.