As the Kansas City Chiefs fell to 0-2 to start the preseason, the concerns had nothing to do with the team's record. Instead, the only real concerns were about the mistakes made on the field and the health of injured players. For the latter, two new names surfaced to add to the Chiefs' injury woes.
Shortly before the game, the Chiefs announced that starting safety Alohi Gilman would sit out unexpectedly with a back injury. Then, during the game, defensive end Tyreke Smith was ruled out with a hamstring.
"Alohi in warm-ups had some low back spasms," explained head coach Andy Reid after the game, "so he didn't play. Then Tyreke Smith tweaked his right hamstring. Not sure how bad that is, but it was bad enough to where he couldn't continue."
Gilman's importance to the secondary
Gilman's status is the far greater concern for the Chiefs, given his importance as one of Brett Veach's biggest free agent acquisitions. The veteran safety signed a three-year deal to provide an immediate answer to Bryan Cook's departure for Cincinnati, and it gave the Chiefs' secondary the sort of experienced leader they were lacking a year ago. He's been quick to take on his mentoring role in a rebuilt secondary filled with younger players, and that makes his absence that much more noticeable.
An already taxed defense
The Chiefs were also without another starting safety versus the Buccaneers. Chamarri Conner is dealing with a knee injury after colliding with wide receiver Tyquan Thornton in practice earlier this week. Reid had already told reporters that Conner would sit out this game as a precautionary measure. Without Gilman or Conner, the Chiefs leaned on Jaden Hicks and rookie free agent Xavier Nwankpa to hold down the first-team reps.
Beyond Conner and Gilman, the Chiefs were already coming into the game without defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, who has missed the entire preseason as he recovers from a torn ACL; linebacker Jack Cochrane (right knee); and defensive end Ashton Gillotte (ruptured plantar fascia). That doesn't include the fact that linebacker Drue Tranquill has missed time for back spasms as well and that corner Mansoor Delane was just cleared for his first preseason game.
As for Tyreke Smith, he's likely sitting on the outside looking in for any active roster spot. The Chiefs aren't exactly set at defensive end in terms of top-to-bottom talent, but Smith didn't seem like a favored candidate to make the 53-man roster.
The Chiefs still have three weeks until the regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos, so many of the team's injured players should have enough time to be ready to go. But no one likes to see a new injury creep up, and Gilman is a pivotal addition. Hopefully, the rest eases the spasms and the Chiefs figure out a way to manage things going forward for a long season ahead.
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