The Kansas City Chiefs have taken some late-week hits at cornerback going into Week 8. That's going to be a real challenge for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs defense as they try to slow the Denver Broncos at Mile High on Sunday afternoon.
The Chiefs are hitting the road for the second consecutive week after losing in abysmal fashion to the Seattle Seahawks in primetime in Week 7. But they'll be trying to get the best of Bo Nix and company without two of their primary corners: rookie Mansoor Delane and veteran L'Jarius Sneed.
Mansoor Delane will miss Week 8
ESPN reporter Adam Schefter posted that K.C. has designated Delane as "out" for Week 8 after he was initially listed as questionable going into the weekend. Delane was a late addition to the Chiefs' injury report in the first place, after practicing in full on Wednesday. By Thursday, he was held out of practice with a shoulder injury, and that continued on Friday as well.
Delane's shoulder is an ongoing concern after he initially injured it back in May during OTAs. He was held out of drills and activities during the team's mandatory minicamp in early June, and then he remained out for much of the Chiefs' training camp slate at St. Joseph before getting healthy enough to suit up for Week 1. However, he landed awkwardly on his shoulder while trying to return an interception on his third play from scrimmage against Denver in Week 1 and was held out for the next two games.
Since entering the lineup in Week 3, Delane has looked every bit like the impact corner that the Chiefs drafted him to be at No. 6 overall in the entire class. The rookie's strong performance against the run as well as a sticky, physical, and instinctive defender in coverage makes it clear they have a long-term anchor in the secondary. However, the ongoing shoulder concern is a short-term issue that the Chiefs are going to have monitor closely going forward.
L'Jarius Sneed to injured reserve
Delane is not the only Chiefs corner sitting out of this important AFC West battle. The Chiefs announced a series of roster moves on Saturday centered around the placement of Sneed on the team's injured reserve list after limiting his involvement in practice this week due to a knee injury.
Sneed's extensive injury history with knee and quad issues was a known factor when the team re-signed him in June after two years away from the franchise with the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs often held him out of practice before he left for Nashville in order to keep him healthy for game days. But now Sneed will be forced to sit every one of the Chiefs' next four games:
- Week 8 - @ Denver Broncos
- Week 9 - vs. New York Jets
- Week 10 - @ Atlanta Falcons
- Week 11 - vs. Arizona Cardinals
That puts Sneed's earliest potential return date on a Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Buffalo Bills to kick off Week 12.
Sneed's struggles in coverage in the slot were already calling for his benching, so his loss is significantly lesser than Delane's. However, the overall effect of losing both corners puts a strain on the secondary.
Responding to the corner concerns
The Chiefs have signed cornerback Melvin Smith to the active roster from their own practice squad in order to ease the burden. Smith was originally waived when active rosters were due and subsequently claimed by the Titans. Two weeks later, he was released and joined the Chiefs once again, where he's been on the taxi squad since mid-September.
It's hard to say how much playing time Smith will end up getting, but Kristian Fulton is the best bet to replace Delane in the starting lineup opposite Nohl Williams. The veteran hasn't played nearly as much everyone expected after he signed a two-year, $20 million deal in free agency with the Chiefs before the '25 season, but times like this make the team thankful that they have a starting-caliber option waiting in the wings.
Chris Roland-Wallace already played an uptick in snaps inside, so it wouldn't surprise anyone to see him out there in nickel packages from the start of Week 8. The Chiefs also have rookie Jadon Canady who might find himself active on game day for further depth there.
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