If you want to know how Mansoor Delane is coming along in his return from a shoulder issue, Steve Spagnuolo had a two-word phrase to sum up the path forward.
When reporters asked the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive coordinator about what the Chiefs still needed to see before Delane would be ready for Week 1, Spagnuolo simply said: "a lot."
The Chiefs were back in practice at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph—without pads on this day—which meant fans in attendance got to see a bit more of Delane than normal. So far in camp, Delane has worn the yellow (non-contact) jersey to make sure he doesn't suffer any further complications, but the non-padded nature of practice on Thursday allowed the team's first of two first-round picks to work a bit more.
"We’re trying to be a little cautious with the shoulder, the shoulder blade," said Spagnuolo. "I think you guys saw him, he’s out there today, because we only had shells on, so he could protect himself, but the other three days, with the shoulder pads, it was really being safe. You protect from himself, because when you put pads on, we don’t want to set him back.
"But I do think he did a good job. You saw him in and out of huddles, getting everything mentally. Trying to keep the conditioning up. We’ll see where we’re at tomorrow because we put the pads back on, but that will be Rick’s [Burkholder] call."
That last note is interesting because it sounded like Delane, who was taken at No. 6 overall after the Chiefs traded up from No. 9 in the first round, could be ready to take the next step forward. Delane has been held out of much of practice in both mandatory minicamp and training camp as he heals from a shoulder injury that's kept him from full participation.
While Delane might be ready for the next step in his rehabilitation, Spagnuolo's comments made it clear the Chiefs view him as being in a race against the calendar. The rookie still has plenty of catching up to do after missing valuable practice time this spring and summer, and Spags doesn't sound like he's assuming Delane will be ready for the September 14 opener against Denver.
"We just haven’t had the work. I mean, you go through OTAs, and it’s just helmets. And he hasn’t had a chance to really… the thing he’s missing right now is the continuity with a bunch of guys who are new to him. Everybody’s new, so we’re gonna have to fight through that. Before you know it, we’re going to be lining up against Denver. Hopefully we get him back quicker than we thought."
It's the last part that brings things into question. Spags brings up Denver and seems to reference an internal belief that Delane might not be ready for it, with the statement that he hopes the cornerback can "get back quicker than we thought." It's an exercise in reading between the lines, to be sure, which is conjecture, yet it matches the team's very cautious approach with Delane throughout the spring and summer.
The long view is what's most important for the Chiefs. Delane was drafted to be the team's lockdown defender in a completely rebuilt secondary that will feel the immediate vacuum of the 2022 class's graduation. The start date is what's fuzzy at this point, and the Chiefs aren't taking any chances in the short term.
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