Chiefs don’t think Joe Thuney will play and say Isiah Pacheco might.
All-Pro guard Joe Thuney will not be able to play in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game against the Ravens on Sunday because he hurt his pectoral.
Derrick Nnadi, the starting defensive tackle, will miss the second game in a row because he hurt his triceps.
Thuney got hurt in last week’s win over the Bills from Buffalo in the divisional round. He didn’t practice during the week and appeared as “out” on the final injury list of the week.
The Baltimore Ravens will be the opponent for the Kansas City Chiefs in the championship game of the AFC on Sunday. The Chiefs will be missing defensive back Derrick Nnadi and offensive guard Joe Thuney, who played all Pro.
Thuney hurt his pectoral muscle in a win in the Buffalo Bills on Thursday in the divisional round and will not be able to play on Friday. He has helped lead one of the best offense lines in the league.
The first MRI test of the week showed that Thuney had a strain, so it became clear that he would not be available when he couldn’t practice.
Nick Allegretti, a veteran who has played in 14 playoff contests over the last five seasons, will take his place.
“Everyone sees him as a starter,” Andy Reid, the Chiefs coach, said. “They all have faith that he can step in and do a good job.”
He has played most of those snaps on special teams, though he also started all postseason games along the offensive line in 2021, including the Super Bowl loss by the Chiefs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“That kid is tough. It’s not always the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, but he’s smart and will fight you until the end. “A good combination.”
The Chiefs are hoping that quarterback Isiah Pacheco, linebacker Willie Gay Jr., safety Mike Edwards, and wide receiver Kadarius Toney will be able to play against the Ravens. However, each of them is listed as questionable.
Pacheco led the Chiefs with almost 1,000 rushing yards even though he could only play in 14 regular-season games because of an injury to his shoulder. He looked healthy during the part of practice that reporters could see on Friday.
He missed work before in the week because of an injury to his toe. On Thursday, he did a walkthrough but seemed to be going fast in the last practice before leaving Baltimore.
Early this week, Pacheco said, “Just working on the training room and doing a great job in there.” “Every day getting better.” Nnadi couldn’t play in the AFC final game because he hurt his triceps.
Gay, who has been hurt in the neck, could be very important in slowing down Browns quarterback Lamar Jackson. Last weekend, he was appointed as Kansas City’s spy on Josh Allen. When Gay was forced to leave the match, the Buffalo Bills quarterback ran for a lot of his 72 yards.
Reid said, “Willie is an essential component of our defense.” “I wouldn’t put down Drue Tranquill for the work he did when he first came in, but Willie was a good player.” He’s helped us be successful.
After getting a concussion during the game with the Bills, Edwards was back at practice on Thursday.
Toney, on the other hand, has been recovering from a hip injury and has been under a lot of scrutiny all season for dropped passes or mental mistakes.
There are only four teams left in the NFL playoffs, with three games left, including the AFC and NFC championship matchups on Sunday.
As usual this time of year, due to the physical nature of the NFL season, there are a few key injuries.
Mark Andrews, a Pro Bowl tight end, was taken off of the injured reserve list on Friday, which is great news for the Baltimore Ravens.
They play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship on Sunday afternoon, and boss John Harbaugh says Andrews will play.
Andrews had surgery on his ankle on November 21 to fix an injury he got in Week 11 of the Baltimore Ravens’ 34-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
He hasn’t played since then, but he practiced every day last week. On Tuesday, he only did some work, but on Wednesday and Thursday, he did all of it.
Andrews was not sure if he would play in the divisional round, but he did not. This week, Andrews took part in full practice both on Wednesday and Thursday.
As of 2018, the three-time Pro Bowler as well as 2021 First-Team All-Pro has scored 40 receiving touchdowns, which is second only to Travis Kelce’s 52 for the most in NFL history.
In NFL history, Andrews has caught 55.8 yards per game, which is the sixth-most by a tight end.