Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided his usual pre-practice injury update on Wednesday.
The Chiefs managed to escape the Week 3 game with the Colts without any new injuries, which was one of the silver linings in the defeat. They’ll still have a trio of players out of practice to start the week, but they’ll also have one very important piece returning to practice in some capacity.
“As far as the injuries go, Michael Danna won’t practice today with a calf,” Reid began. “Mecole Hardman has a heel contusion that he’s been battling through. We’re going to sit him down today. I think he’s going to be OK, but we’re going to rest him today. Ronald Jones is sick today, we’re going to send him home and get him out of here.”
It’s unfortunate that Jones won’t practice, as he will be facing his former team this week.
Danna didn’t play in Week 3 and this is the fourth practice he’s missed since his injury. Hardman did try to tough out his injury in Week 3, but Reid said it may have impacted him a bit.
“I think the heel was affecting him a little bit this past week,” Reid said of Hardman. “Up to that point, I thought he was playing fast and running the stuff he was supposed to run and doing that.”
One player who was also impacted by an injury in Week 3 was LT Orlando Brown Jr., who was dealing with a knee issue. Brown Jr. will practice on Wednesday.
“I think it was bugging him a little bit last week,” Reid said of Brown Jr.’s knee. “But listen, like I said, we can all do better. He’s a pretty single-minded, focused individual. He’ll keep up his work, work hard, working to get better.”
As for the player returning to practice, Chiefs K Harrison Butker will be back out there to start the week. Expect it to be in a limited capacity as they ramp up his workload. He was said to be kicking with the training staff late last week.
“Harrison Butker will go ahead and do a little bit today,” Reid said. “We’ll just play it by ear with that as we go.”
The Chiefs do have a contingency plan in place, should Butker not progress in the way they’re hoping. They signed Matthew Wright to the practice squad on Tuesday and will get him adequate repetitions this week. As for the team’s confidence level in Wright, well, they’re still working through that.
“Yeah, listen I don’t know other than his workout out here,” Reid said of Wright. “I haven’t been in a game with him. He had a good workout yesterday and you hope that transfers in. He has some experience. Dave (Toub) took a look at that too.”
