Taylor Bicht
2 min read • September 04, 2024
Posted in
Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season kicks off with a Thursday Night Football showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have Super Bowl aspirations, and this primetime game will set the tone for their campaigns. While the Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, are looking to defend their AFC dominance, the Ravens hope to make a statement with Lamar Jackson and their new RB#1 Derrick Henry. However, there are some health concerns for key players could play a major role in this matchup, as revealed by SIC Health Scores.
Listed below are key injury insights for each team
The Kansas City Chiefs' new free agent acquisition suffered an SC (sternoclavicular) joint dislocation on August 10th during a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was hospitalized as a precaution, as SC joint dislocations can be particularly dangerous, especially if displaced posteriorly towards critical blood vessels. This type of injury is serious and requires careful monitoring due to the potential complications involved.
A similar injury was sustained by Tyreek Hill in 2019, which caused him to miss four weeks. If the current injury follows a similar timeline and we belive Hill returned earlier than normal, the Chiefs' new acquisition could be pushing past Week 2 of the regular season, with him already ruled out for Week 1.
The Chiefs left guard missed no games last season and played 100% of the snaps from Week 1 to Week 16. Thuney sustained a pectoral injury on January 26th during the playoffs, which caused him to miss both the AFC Championship and Super Bowl games.
Thuney began training camp on the active/PUP list but has since been activated for over a month and is fully prepared for the new season. Expect no limitations for him during Week 1, as he is ready to return to his usual form on the field.
After a great start to training camp and emerging as the likely starting slot corner for the Baltimore Ravens this year, Arthur Maulet underwent knee surgery (a scope) early August. As a result, he has been placed on injured reserve (IR), meaning he will miss at least the Ravens' first four games of the season.
While the procedure is considered minor, it will keep him sidelined until midseason. His absence will be felt early on, as his presence will be missed, potentially hampering the Ravens' pass defense to start the year. Maulet is expected to return fully healthy later in the season.
With Maulet out, the advantage will be with the Chiefs' wide receivers, aside from Rashee Rice, who will likely be covered more often than not by top cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Expect speedster Xavier Worthy to take advantage in his first NFL start.
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SIC PICKS are powered by the proven SIC Score algorithms from our exclusive panel of former Pro Sports Team doctors to give you a sports betting edge. Each day our team of doctors analyze the players and teams and share their expert insights to help you make informed bets on the biggest unknown to sportsbooks and sports bettors - player health and injuries!
Written by Taylor Bicht
