The Kansas City Chiefs were holding out hope that a few offensive players were still going to have the chance to heal up given the extra rest before Super Bowl LVIII, but as it turns out, nearly every injury update from head coach Andy Reid on Tuesday was negative.
The biggest injury news for the Chiefs that emerged on Tuesday had to do with starting left guard Joe Thuney. As a first-team All-Pro, Thuney is the best offensive lineman for the Chiefs and a key leader up front against a vaunted 49ers defensive front. However, it sounds as if Thuney is not going to be able to play.
Specifically, Reid said that Thuney was a "long shot" to be able to play, per NFL reporter Nate Taylor of The Athletic.
The Chiefs made a couple of important injury updates on Tuesday evening.
Without Thuney, who has been out with a pectoral muscle injury since the Buffalo Bills game, the Chiefs have relied on interior lineman Nick Allegretti to start in his place. Allegretti deserves considerable credit for the job he's done, but no team wants to move forward without one of the best players at his position in the trenches.
As for others, Reid also had bad news about veteran running back Jerick McKinnon. Even though the Chiefs just designated McKinnon to return to practice off of the team's injured reserve list, Reid said, "Jerick is not practicing. I'd tell you it's slim for him to be out there."
McKinnon has been a hero in the postseason before for the Chiefs, but now Clyde Edwards-Helaire takes on an important role in the backfield as the primary backup for Isiah Pacheco. La'Mical Perine is also a likely candidate to be activated after being carried on the practice squad for most of the season.
The Chiefs and 49ers are set to kick off in Super Bowl LVIII at 5:30 p.m. C.T. on Sunday, February 11.