KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs were remarkably healthy over the first half of the season, but those days appear to have met their bitter end.
Not only have injuries conspired to pulverize Kansas City’s offensive line, they’ve now crept into the defensive secondary.
Chris Roland-Wallace landed on injured reserve Saturday with a back injury. To replace him on the 53-man roster, Kansas City signed safety Mike Edwards from the practice squad. Also on Saturday, the Chiefs elevated guard C.J. Hanson from the practice squad.
Without Roland-Wallace, the Chiefs struggled to contain the Cowboys’ passing attack in last week’s 31-28 loss. It was the first NFL game the defensive back had missed since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
Huge void in Chiefs’ secondary
A 5-11, 202-pound player out of Southern California, Roland-Wallace developed lower-back soreness in the 23-20 overtime win over the Colts on Nov. 23. The injury didn’t improve as the Thanksgiving game approached, and he was inactive against the Cowboys.
“He’s done exceptionally well,” Spagnuolo said Nov. 25 of Roland-Wallace, in his second season. “He’s just done this the whole time he’s been here. He came in as a free agent. We didn’t know if he was a corner or safety, but he’s a good football player. Got really good instincts, really good ball skills and tackles well.”
A fixture in the first 11 games this year, Roland-Wallace had played 190 defensive snaps (30 percent), including a rare Chiefs interception (Week 3 at the Giants). He also made an important play to help Kansas City beat the Colts in his last game.
Roland-Wallace had 34 tackles and three pass breakups. However, his absence is also a big setback to Kansas City’s special teams, where he’d played 62 percent of snaps entering last week.
What personnel will Chiefs deploy Sunday?
What’s interesting is the personnel in the secondary Kansas City will choose to replace Roland-Wallace in a must-win game against Houston (7-5) on Sunday Night Football (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan). Whether the Chiefs change their approach compared to last week, when veteran Kristian Fulton again was a healthy inactive, remains to be seen.
Spagnuolo has said multiple times that Fulton has been slow to grasp the Chiefs’ complicated defense, and assorted injuries since the start of training camp haven’t helped.
But Fulton does have recent experience against the Texans. He started at cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers in last year’s AFC wild-card playoff game in Houston. In the Texans’ 32-12 win, Nico Collins had 122 yards and a touchdown on seven catches, and the Chargers couldn’t overcome Justin Herbert’s four interceptions.
Edwards, elevated from the practice squad last week, played the entire game against Dallas. He re-signed with Kansas City in the offseason after splitting last season between Buffalo and Tampa Bay. In his first stint with the Chiefs, 2023, Edwards helped the team to a Super Bowl title. He also earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in 2020 by beating the Chiefs.
Hanson’s elevation, his first this season, could be a nod toward the Chiefs’ gameplan. The Texans own the NFL’s No. 1 defense and injuries likely will force Kansas City to start three backups on the offensive line. Hanson or rookie Esa Pole could be used in jumbo formations, as extra blockers.
