As the Kansas City Chiefs come out of their Week 5 bye, everyone should be well rested and ready to go after a sensational beginning to a new year. But not only was the extra week off helpful for overall team health, but some reinforcements could be making their way back after missing most or even all of that time.
Defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott is eligible to come off of the physically unable to play (PUP) list at any point, and is the main player that Chiefs Kingdom is angling to see back on the field, although he's yet to return to practice. However, it's easy to overlook another player waiting in the wings: Cooper McDonald.
McDonald was lost after the first game of the season—a Week 1 domination of the Denver Broncos—and was placed on injured reserve on September 16. A knee injury robbed him of the next four weeks—the required stint on IR—which puts his potential return into view at the present moment, as the Chiefs prepare to host the Los Angeles Chargers.
The linebackers could use a boost
McDonald's potential arrival for the Chiefs' linebacking corps would be a welcome sight. Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton are the starting veterans who both enjoyed standout performances in a Week 4 road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders before the bye. However, the Chiefs' linebackers have looked overmatched in coverage since the start of the season and the lack of quality depth has given opposing offensive coordinators some obvious mismatches to target.
Specifically, Jack Cochrane has been tasked with any real backup opportunities behind the aforementioned vets, and while he's a trusted presence on special teams, Cochrane is a clear liability when given meaningful defensive snaps. It's already a mystery why Jeffrey Bassa isn't playing more than he is in his second season, and Cochrane is well-versed in all three linebacker roles in the team's base defense. That said, McDonald's return should make it harder to lean on Cochrane when there are younger players with a higher ceiling available.
Then again, McDonald's return might not mean all that much
That said, the Chiefs are already not playing Bassa and McDonald only received special teams reps in the Chiefs' first game of the season. Even after sitting both linebackers for most of their entire first season in a sort of watch-and-learn mode, the Chiefs still look reticent to let either play much in their second year, too.
This is frustrating for those on the outside, especially when watching offenses key in on Cochrane as a mismatch opportunity. The Chiefs wanted to get faster across all levels of the defense, and they have for the most part. But not unleashing the younger linebackers to gain more experience is confusing for fans who are wondering what Bassa, especially, must do to get legitimate reps.
But it's also true that neither player—Bassa or McDonald—came into the NFL with starting expectations. Bassa was a fifth-round choice, and McDonald was undrafted. Special teams was always the primary role for both, even if the Chiefs look thinner at linebacker in 2026 after losing Leo Chenal in free agency (to the Washington Commanders).
As the Chiefs get back to practice to prep for the Chargers, injury updates will come in fresh from Arrowhead. McDonald is a name to watch for, although expectations should remain modest, even if he's cleared to come back. Having McDonald available is a good thing, but it's hard to tell just how much Steve Spagnuolo would even use him.
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