The Kansas City Chiefs returned for another week of practice ahead of their scheduled Week 7 road trip to play the Seattle Seahawks, and the first injury report features a couple of key starters out. Both offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and wide receiver Rashee Rice were unable to practice on Wednesday.
Moore is the most recent injury for the Chiefs after suffering a concussion in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Moore is now in the team's concussion protocol, which makes it impossible to target any timetable for his return.
The impact of Jaylon Moore's concussion
The Chiefs turned to Joshua Ezeudu after Moore was forced to leave the field on Sunday. Ezeudu was acquired in a preseason deal from the New York Giants with his most recent pro experience along the offensive interior. However, the Chiefs clearly saw him as better tackle help, since they also turned to Mike Caliendo when they needed help at left guard in Week 4 after Kingsley Suamataia's benching.
Ezeudu would be the best guess to man the right tackle role on Sunday if Moore remains out for the Chiefs in Seattle. That also creates a real quandary at tackle for the Chiefs since it's unclear if left tackle Josh Simmons will make his debut in Week 7. Kahlil Benson is the likely player to step up in the absence of either starter, but he's been slotted in at left tackle since Week 1. If both Simmons and Moore are out, the Chiefs have only Diego Pounds to help as a swing tackle.
What Rashee Rice's absence means
As for Rashee Rice, he already missed Week 6 due to a hamstring injury that kept him out of practice for the entirety of Week 6 prep. That came after a full week of extra rest with the Week 5 bye following his injury in the first quarter of Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The good news is that head coach Andy Reid stated that he's "getting better by the day."
Without Rice on Sunday, the Chiefs turned to Andrew Armstrong and Jalen Royals to largely fill in for their injured receivers, a list that also included Tyquan Thornton. Projections for Rice would feel more promising if he were even able to participate in practice in a limited capacity. Fans should expect Royals and Armstrong to receive the lion's share of snaps alongside Xavier Worthy for another game, with perhaps a greater share to rookie Cyrus Allen.
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