Zachary Engberg
2 min read • August 04, 2022
Posted in
2021 record: 12-5, lost AFC Championship | 2022 FanDuel O/U win total: 10.5
The Chiefs weathered an early-season slide in 2021, winning the division for the sixth consecutive season and advancing to their fourth straight AFC Championship game.
Kansas City saw established stars Tyreek Hill, Tyrann Mathieu, and Charvarius Ward leave for massive pay-days, but added solid replacements around Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
The perennial contenders grade out as one the healthiest teams in the NFL with an SIC score of 94.
Speaking of Edwards-Helaire, the third-year running back spent less than a day on the PUP list while he completed his entry conditioning test. Edwards-Helaire missed five games last season with an MCL sprain but he figures to be ready for a big campaign.
The most notable new face is former pro-bowler Juju Smith-Schuster, who came to KC on a one-year deal after suffering a dislocated shoulder last October that sent him to the hospital and prematurely ended his regular season. He was able to return for the Steelers' playoff matchup against the Chiefs, but his shoulder was not yet at 100%.
Defensive linemen Chris Jones and Frank Clark each missed three games in 2021 after suffering early-season injuries, but both have been active during offseason programs.
Jones missed two games after suffering torn ligaments in his wrist Week 2 but played through the injury with a hard cast in 10 of his final 11 games. The 28-year-old didn’t undergo surgery for the injury over the offseason but has been active at OTAs and training camp.
Clark, meanwhile, missed three games in 2021 with early-season hamstring injuries that won’t carry into 2022. The edge-rusher has played 14-or-more games in each of his first seven seasons.
The lone training camp concern for the Chiefs is cornerback Rashad Fenton, who is on the PUP list after undergoing a cleanup surgery on his shoulder that doesn’t appear to be related to any 2021 injury. The Pro Football Docs expect him to be activated sometime during training camp.
Smith-Schuster has struggled in the last three seasons while dealing with injuries and a rotating door of less-than-stellar quarterback play.
The 25-year-old missed the last 11 regular season games with a dislocated shoulder, but the injury won’t impact his performance in 2022 and the Docs project him to be healthy. He should be ready to make an impact with the boatload of opportunities he will have this season.
Written by Zachary Engberg
