2 min read • September 08, 2020
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Patrick Mahomes QB
The half a billion dollar man/Super Bowl champion/MVP had his share of injury issues last season. He started the year with a high ankle sprain which he later reaggravated. He then suffered a dislocated kneecap during a Week 7 matchup. Mahomes missed three and a half weeks but still proved to be a quick healer. While the ankle is at no increased risk for re-injury, the knee still is. Once a patella dislocates, ligaments undoubtedly stretch/tear and without surgery there is always risk. How much risk remains and can't be determined from afar with an examination and review of images, but clearly he performed well without any noticeable issues. That worry has to be in the back of the Chiefs' minds, and Mahomes’ unique physiology plays a role in all this. Mahomes is very flexible with loose ligaments that allow him to have more shoulder motion to "sling shot" the football, but this trait makes him more vulnerable to the patella issue in particular. He played well after returning to the field, putting up some of his best performances like a 446 yard, three touchdown game in his first week back versus the Titans, and a 321 yard, 5 touchdown miracle comeback versus the Texans in the playoffs. The rule of thumb is that once a dislocation happens, the easier it happens again. We all remember that the injury happened on a relatively innocuous quarterback sneak meaning there will always be a watchful eye on his knee.
Damien Williams RB
Williams began last season with a hamstring issue that led to a slow start and later missed five games with a knee bone bruise. Despite these issues, Williams was productive with 498 rushing yards, 213 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns as he returned to a big role late in the season. 2020 should start with a clean health slate for him but will have to be put on hold as he has opted out of this season due to personal issues regarding COVID-19. He’ll compete with rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire for touches in 2021 but his spot may not be there when he returns.
Darrel Williiams RB
The other Williams in the Chiefs stable ended his season on injured reserve with a late hamstring injury. He missed the month of December and the Super Bowl run but should have no lingering issues going into the 2020 season. He may have a chance to be the RB2 next to Clyde Edwards-Helaire as he managed to contribute in limited action last year with 308 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.
Tyreek Hill WR
Tyreek Hill missed four games in the early season with a dislocated sternoclavicular joint that had to be emergently put back in place at the hospital. Hill put the injury in his rearview mirror and returned in a big way to help the Chiefs win the Super Bowl. He had 58 receptions for 860 yards and seven touchdowns on the year, and the chance for recurrent injury here is very small. He enters 2020 as Patrick Mahomes’ top wideout, and should continue to torch defenses over the top.
Sammy Watkins WR
Sammy Watkins had hamstring issues in 2019 and missed several games. He was a big part of the Chiefs championship offense during their Super Bowl winning run, and had 52 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season. This marks the fifth straight year of Watrkins not finishing out playing a 16-game season. His previous injuries have been well documented but should be behind him. On paper, the former Buffalo Bill has no current health issues but do fans trust him given his injury history?
Travis Kelce WR
In the first injury report of the season Kelce was a surprise appearance, and was limited in practice with a knee issue. Given that there is no requirement for injury reporting in training camp there is no information what the injury is or if it has been lingering or brand new. We will continue to monitor the situation and report back. Limited practice could mean that the star tight end participated in 99% of the practice or only 1% therefore there is much to be elucidated.
IR/Opt Out List
G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
T Lucas Niang
RB Damien Williams
G/T Martinas Rankin
CB Alex Brown
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