The Kansas City Chiefs have clinched the AFC West for the ninth straight year and look on the verge of securing the No. 1 seed in the conference. But injuries continue to defy Andy Reid in the final stretch of the 2024 NFL season, with more players unavailable for the upcoming against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On Tuesday, the Chiefs ruled out both veteran tackle D.J. Humphries and safety Chamarri Conner for the Christmas game in the Steel City. This comes only a day after the Chiefs confirmed Reid will miss linebacker Jack Cochrane, who was placed on Injured Reserve.
Kansas City, however, may end up ruling out even more players apart from Humphries, Conner, and Cochrane to play the Steelers, as defensive tackle Chris Jones and offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor remain questionable for Wednesday.
Losing Jones would obviously leave a huge void on defense, but Taylor’s absence would create an even bigger problem for Reid, who has already been forced to make changes in the o-line.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle D.J. Humphries looks on after a game.
Reid, Chiefs facing o-line problems
Humphries, 30, got injured in his Chiefs debut against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season. It was a huge blow for Kansas City, who signed him halfway through the campaign to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blindside.
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Instead of throwing second-year tackle Wanya Morris or rookie Kingsley Suamataia back to the lineup, Reid preferred to move Joe Thuney to left tackle in the last two games, with Mike Caliendo playing left guard.
Reid knows the Steelers will put the Chiefs’ OL to the test
With Humphries still on the sidelines, Reid may keep Thuney at this position against the Steelers. At the end of the day, the Chiefs coach liked what he saw from the o-line lately, though he knows Pittsburgh will be a challenging task.
“Yeah, I tell you, similar to the other groups. I mean, they do a nice job of rushing the passer, all of them,” Reid said on Monday. “So it’s not just the outside guys; it’s those inside guys, too. The offensive line’s got another big challenge. I thought they fared pretty good last week. Did a nice job for the most part. They have to do it again. But that’s all part of this. They know that they take that responsibility seriously and prepare themselves the right way.”
