The Kansas City Chiefs are in the final days of preparing for a rematch against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. While Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce will be playing at Allegiant Stadium, the Chiefs could be missing a critical player.
Kansas City has dealt with a myriad of injuries this season, including in the NFL playoffs. The Chiefs played without linebacker Willie Gay Jr., offensive lineman Joe Thuney, running back Jerick McKinnon, wide receiver K’Darius Toney and nose tackle Derrick Nnandi in the AFC Championship Game.
- Joe Thuney stats: 99% ESPN pass-block win rate (1st among iOL),
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In the AFC title victory over the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs also lost edge rusher Charles Omenihu to a season-ending knee injury. Already poised to be without one of their top pass rushers, Kansas City is also now poised to miss one of the most critical players to the success of its offense.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports that Thueny is in danger of missing the Super Bowl with a pectoral injury. The All-Pro offensive guard suffered the pec injury in the AFC Divisional Round and hasn’t been able to practice since.
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Kansas City fears that Thuney suffered a torn pec, which he would have no chance to play through. While he continues to go through testing leading up to the Super Bowl, there’s very little optimism that he’ll be able to play against the 49ers.
Without Thuney in the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs were forced to start interior offensive lineman Nick Allegretti. In 80 snaps, he received a 52.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. While he graded poorly as a run blocker, he only surrendered 4 pressures in 52 pass-blocking snaps.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive weapon Jerick McKinnon may play in Super Bowl
Fortunately, there is positive news on the Chiefs injury report heading into the Super Bowl. Kansas City’s first three practices this past week saw the return of wide receiver Skyy Moore, albeit in a limited capacity. There’s also some hope that Toney could play against the 49ers.
Perhaps just as importantly for the Chiefs’ passing offense, running back Jerick McKinnon could return. The veteran pass-catcher was designated to return from injured reserve on Saturday, opening the practice window for him next week.
- Jerick McKinnon stats: 25 receptions, 192 receiving yards, 4 receiving touchdowns
While McKinnon won’t provide anything as a runner, he is an important offensive weapon for Mahomes. Over the last two seasons, the 5-foot-9 running back has accumulated 81 receptions for 704 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 103 targets in 29 regular-season games.
McKinnon is a skilled pass-catcher, responsible for a 78.1 percent catch rate and averaging 7.7 yards per reception and 1.18 yards per route run during the regular season. He also ran 163 routes, per Player Profiler, and his return would provide Mahomes with a check-down option when the 49ers blitz or get pressure into the backfield.
