The Kansas City Chiefs went into Monday morning after their win over the Buffalo Bills in the NFL postseason both excited to move on to the next challenge yet worried about their ability to compete at the highest level due to an injury on Sunday to All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. After some test results on Monday, the Chiefs are at least feeling better about his long-term health following further tests.
On Sunday, Thuney was forced to leave the Chiefs' game against the Bills at Highmark Stadium in the Divisional Round with a chest injury. At first, Thuney was designated at questionable to return, but the offensive lineman would remain out for the rest of the 27-24 road win that sent Buffalo packing.
The Chiefs got some good news about Joe Thuney following further tests on Monday.
Following the game, the Chiefs announced that Thuney had a pectoral muscle injury but they weren't specific about its severity. Instead they also stated that Thuney would wait and undergo an MRI on Monday to see how extensive the issue was.
By Monday evening, NFL reporter Ian Rapoport had the word:
#Chiefs All-Pro guard Joe Thuney suffered a pec strain in Sunday’s win over the #Bills, source says. That is a potential good sign for his availability over the next few weeks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2024
The news of a pectoral muscle strain is not good news on the surface because that could be very hard for Thuney to be ready in just a matter of six days to play in the AFC Championship game. That said, it's definitely a far less worrisome concern than if Thuney had injured himself more than that—perhaps with a partial or even full muscle tear instead of a strain.
If Thuney is unable to go on Sunday for the Chiefs offense, expect Nick Allegretti to continue to be the next man up in his absence.
At this point, Thuney's condition will be one to watch as the days go by leading up to Sunday afternoon's game on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. Even if Thuney is unable to go, Thuney remains a better bet to play in Super Bowl LVIII if the Chiefs make it compared to before. And even if the season is over after Sunday, the positive side for Thuney is that he won't be staring down an offseason of serious recovery.