The Kansas City Chiefs have released their second injury report of the week ahead of Week 18’s regular-season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
It was hard to imagine the Chiefs’ injury report looking any worse after Wednesday, but somehow it did. After having three non-participants to start the practice week, they’ve now got four non-participants, including a player who plays a highly specialized position. Three of those non-participant absences are due to illness, with flu and cold season in full swing in Kansas City.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the second injury report of the week for both squads.
Chiefs’ Thursday injury report for Week 18
| Player | Injury | Weds./Thurs./Fri. |
|---|---|---|
| WR Xavier Worthy | Illness | DNP/DNP |
| RB Kareem Hunt | Illness | DNP/DNP |
| RG Trey Smith | Ankle | DNP/DNP |
| TE Jake Briningstool (IR) | Hamstring | FP/FP |
| OT Jaylon Moore | Knee | LP/LP |
| RB Isiah Pacheco | NIR (Rest) | LP/LP |
| DE George Karlaftis | NIR (Rest) | LP/LP |
| CB Kristian Fulton | Knee/Wrist | FP/FP |
| LS James Winchester | Illness | FP/DNP |
| DT Derrick Nnadi | Illness | FP/FP |
Observations
- After a full participation practice to start the week, Chiefs LS James Winchester was downgraded to a non-participant on Sunday. As one of the longest-tenured players on the roster, I’d expect him to play in Week 18 despite the illness. Look to see if they add a long-snapper to the practice squad over the next two days to find out if he’s at any risk of missing the regular-season finale.
- Xavier Worthy and Kareem Hunt also remain absent due to illness, while George Karlaftis and Isiah Pacheco were limited for the second consecutive day because of veteran rest days.
- A big question mark for Week 18: Will the Chiefs activate TE Jake Briningstool to the 53-man roster? They currently have four tight ends on the 53-man roster and kept all four of them active against the Denver Broncos in Week 17.
Raiders’ Thursday injury report for Week 18 (coming soon)
| Player | Injury | Weds./Thurs./Fri. |
|---|---|---|
| WR Jack Bech | Back | FP/ |
| DT Adam Butler | Biceps | DNP/ |
| RB Raheem Mostert | Knee/Ankle | FP/ |
| OG Dylan Parham | Illness | DNP/ |
| QB Geno Smith | Ankle | DNP/ |
Observations
- Raiders starting QB Geno Smith is not expected to play in Week 18 after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 17’s game against the New York Giants. Kenny Pickett is likely to start in his place on Sunday.
- Raiders DT Adam Butler is another player who could be shut down and placed on IR ahead of the Week 18 game due to his injury.
