The Kansas City Chiefs briefly caused a scare at their first training camp practice Wednesday from Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
Just before the 7-on-7 portion was set to begin, wide receiver Rashee Rice and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed left the field. Crucially when reporting on training camp injuries, both players were seen walking back up the hill and out of the public’s eye.
Sneed,
now in his second stint with the Chiefs, has managed knee problems much of his career. Rice was absent for most of Kansas City’s offseason program due to a cleanup procedure on his previously injured knee coupled with a short incarceration in Dallas.
After practice, head coach Andy Reid confirmed that the plan had always been to have both players partially participate in practice and then work with training staff. This routine may be repeated in the early part of camp.
“Rashee and L’Jarius,” the coach explained, “we had planned to get some work in, and then they went up mid-practice and got some rehab done. It was all positive. It was planned. We’ll gradually ramp them up as we go.”
Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane remained in a yellow non-contact jersey. Delane reportedly was medically cleared from an offseason shoulder injury as he arrived to camp on Friday with the team’s other rookies.
“Delane worked,” said Reid, “but just no contact with him.”
The most important injury news fans could have heard was encouraging news on star quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he returns from a major knee injury from December.
“Pat did everything,” Reid remarked, “so that’s a positive there.”
Second-year defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott remains on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) list and ineligible for practice as he continues recovery from his own ACL tear last season. Arrowhead Pride’s Ron Kopp shared a video of Norman-Lott’s work with trainers as he makes his way back to the practice field.
Reid confirmed that the Chiefs have moved defensive end Ethan Downs and rookie tight end John Michael Gyllenborg to season ending injured-reserve. Downs reportedly tore his ACL in the team’s first rookie practice. Gyllenborg was placed on PUP Saturday with what Reid referred to as a knee sprain that was still being evaluated.
