The Kansas City Chiefs are dealing with a couple of injuries in the secondary heading into Week 15, and the roster choices for head coach Andy Reid going into the team's home game against the Los Angeles Chargers are going to be important depending on how severe the situation looks on Sunday.
Before hosting the Houston Texans in Week 14, the Chiefs placed Christian Roland-Wallace on injured reserve after battling a back injury that proved to be too difficult to get over. Then, during the loss to the Texans, K.C. watched Trent McDuffie leave with a knee injury in the first half and fail to return to the game.
McDuffie originally looked like he might be able to shake off the injury after being treated on the sidelines. However, he remained out of the game, and Reid said after the game that the fourth-year cornerback had suffered a hyperextended knee with further updates forthcoming.
The Chiefs host the Chargers in Week 15 and some injuries in the secondary could lead to some interesting roster decisions.
As the Chiefs return to practice on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's game, McDuffie's situation is going to be an important one to watch. If he's unable to play, the Chiefs will have an even tougher time against the Chargers offense in a game they must win if they want to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. McDuffie is the team's best pass defender, a player who received votes for Defensive Player of the Year last season and was named second-team All-Pro.
Without McDuffie, the Chiefs have a few options before them. Kristian Fulton remains on the sidelines as a healthy scratch most weeks for the Chiefs, but as a longtime starter for other teams, Fulton is the best bet to come in and provide depth and experience. Nohl Williams is a rookie who stepped in for McDuffie after getting injured, and he'll likely remain a starter outside with Jaylen Watson. It should also be noted that Kevin Knowles earned some snaps inside, and his potential could lead to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo offering him more reps there to test his capabilities.
Losing McDuffie would be a major blow to the Chiefs defense at the season's most crucial moment, but the team has internal options to replace him. The ceiling might not be as high, but there's still enough depth to weather the storm.