With NFL Championship Sunday getting going here soon, a lot of the focus is on injuries some of the game’s biggest stars are dealing with.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is hobbled with a high-ankle sprain he suffered in last week’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Star running back Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers pulled up lame with a calf injury in their win over the Dallas Cowboys.
As Kansas City takes on the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game and San Francisco visits the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC’s version, these injuries could play a role. Below, we provide you with the most-recent injury updates for all four teams taking part in NFL Championship Sunday.
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Kansas City Chiefs injuries headlined by Patrick Mahomes
Typically, a high-ankle sprain will cost a player multiple weeks of action. In shocking fashion, Mahomes actually returned to open the second half of last week’s game against the Jaguars. He was also a full participant in the Chiefs’ first practice session of the week on Wednesday.
“I thought I had a good day yesterday. Obviously, there’s things you’ve got to work through here and there. But overall, probably better than I expected — being able to go out there, throw the football around, and get the reps in that I needed to get in.”
Patrick Mahomes ahead of NFL Championship Sunday
We know Mahomes will play Sunday against Cincinnati. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid made that clear earlier in the week. The question here is just how close to 100% the likely NFL MVP is going to be for the game. If his mobility is impacted, it could end up being a longer-than-expected day for Kansas City’s elite offense.
Other Kansas City Chiefs injury news
- Willie Gay, linebacker: This underrated linebacker took part in 39 defensive plays last week against Jacksonville. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday while dealing with a toe injury. Gay should be able to go on NFL Championship Sunday. This past season saw Gay record 88 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 13 games after returning from suspension.
- Jerick McKinnon, running back: Like Gay, McKinnon has been a full participant in practice this week after showing up on the Chiefs’ injury report with an ankle issue. He should be able to go on Sunday. The veteran played a major role in Kansas City’s passing game during the regular season, hauling in 56-of-71 targets.
- Mecole Hardman, wide receiver: Hardman was back at practice in limited fashion on Wednesday, but was able to return on a full-time basis the following day. Kansas City’s deep threat missed last week’s game against Jacksonville with a pelvic injury. Hardman caught 25 passes for 297 yards in eight regular-season games.
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Cincinnati Bengals injury report focuses on offensive line
Cincinnati’s injury report heading into NFL Championship Sunday is vast. It starts on the offensive line where guard Alex Cappa and tackle Jonah Williams remain out after missing last week’s win over the Buffalo Bills.
This is potentially significant news for Joe Burrow and Co. They will be relying a great deal on pass-protection if the Bengals are to get Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins involved in the AFC Championship Game.
Both are considered day-to-day despite continuing to miss practices. As Bengals head coach Zac Taylor put it, absences throughout the rest of the week won’t paint a good picture on this front.
“You know, every day that passes makes it probably a little more difficult, but we’ll see,” Taylor said Wednesday.
Other Cincinnati Bengals injury news
- Ted Karras, center: Karras was a full practice participant on both Wednesday and Thursday. The first-year Bengals starting center suited up and played all 75 offensive snaps against Buffalo last week. He’ll be good to go for NFL Championship Sunday.
- Hayden Hurst, tight end: Hurst was added to the injury report on Thursday. That’s not great news as Cincinnati prepares for Kansas City. He’s dealing with a calf injury. It’s not yet known whether this is the same calf problem that forced Hurst to miss three games in December. The veteran caught 52 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.
- Alex Cappa, offensive guard: After suffering an ankle injury in Week 18, Cappa hasn’t been able to practice or play since. Burrow adjusted nicely, getting the ball out quicker against Buffalo, and we could see more of the same on Sunday with Cappa already ruled out.
- Jonah Williams, left tackle: It’s been reported that Williams suffered a dislocated kneecap, which, if true, is no surprise that he won’t play on Sunday. Backup Jackson Carman will likely get the start again after allowing three pressures vs. Buffalo.
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Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel headline San Francisco 49ers injury report
McCaffrey was dealing with a bit of a calf issue during San Francisco’s divisional round win over the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, he was limited as the 49ers attempted to melt that game away in the fourth quarter.
While McCaffrey has yet to practice all week, he said on Thursday it’s a zero percent chance that he’ll miss Sunday’s NFC Championship Game outing against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Elijah Mitchell took over for McCaffrey in the fourth quarter and played well. However, the second-year back suffered a minor groin injury and also missed practice. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said both should be good to go Sunday. San Francisco will need that to help create balance for rookie Brock Purdy under center in Philadelphia.
Another dynamic option in San Francisco’s offense, wide receiver Deebo Samuel (ankle) was limited in practice on Thursday. There’s very little reason to believe that he won’t suit up.
Other San Francisco 49ers injury news
- Jimmy Garoppolo, quarterback: It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Garoppolo has not taken part in practice this week. After suffering a foot injury back in December, it was initially believed he’d be out for the remainder of the season. While Garoppolo did avoid surgery, Shanahan noted earlier in the week that he won’t be able to go during NFL Championship Sunday.
- Charles Omenihu, EDGE: San Francisco’s third-leading sack-getter during the regular season, Omenihu was arrested earlier this week on domestic violence charges. That won’t impact his status for the game as the legal situation plays out. However, he was limited during practice on Thursday with an Omenihu issue.
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Philadelphia Eagles healthy heading into NFL Championship Sunday
Star Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson was listed as a limited participant in practice on Thursday with a groin injury. There’s no reason to believe that he won’t be able to go Sunday against San Francsico.
Cornerback Avonte Maddox returned to practice for the first time in over a month due to a toe injury he suffered back in Week 16. It remains to be seen if he’ll be able to go on Sunday. Maddox yielded a mere 77.3 QB rating in nine regular-season games.