Rehab from a torn ACL has Charles Omenihu on the mend for quite a bit longer.
The Kansas City Chiefs brought some clarity to the rehabilitation process and timeline for pass rusher Charles Omenihu on Tuesday. NFL reporter Ian Rapoport broke the news that the team will keep Omenihu on the sidelines until at least November.
The Chiefs will keep Omenihu on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the season. That means Omenihu will have to miss the first four games of the regular season at least before being able to practice—a team is given a five-week window after that first month in which Omenihu is allowed to start practicing. The Chiefs will then have a 21-day window within which to activate Omenihu from the start of his return to practice.
If Omenihu is unable to return to the active roster after having had 3 weeks of potential practice time, he'll revert to the PUP list for the remainder of the season./
The timing of Omenihu's ACL tear was unfortunate for multiple reasons—most notably, the talented veteran couldn't play in the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory. However, the lateness of the injury in the conference championship forced Omenihu to be in recovery mode for the entire offseason and it's now taking up a significant chunk of the following season.
The Chiefs originally signed Omenihu to a two-year deal in free agency in 2023 following his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers. Despite being suspended for the first several games of his first year with the team, Omeniihu proved to be a quick study of Steve Spagnuolo's defensive schemes as he provided serious pass rushing juice to the Chiefs' defensive front in the second half of the season.
Late on Monday, the Chiefs flipped a seventh-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for former San Diego State pass rusher Cam Thomas. That move will help offset the loss of Omenihu for so long, even if the Chiefs will be thrilled to welcome him back the moment he's ready.