Kansas City Chiefs getting key players back at the right time
By Ben Almquist
Ahead of their third preseason game, the Kansas City Chiefs are getting three key players back in Eric Berry, Chris Jones, and Parker Ehinger.
One of the most important aspects about training camp and the preseason is the health of a team. In that regard, the Kansas City Chiefs have been pretty fortunate this year. In the past, we’ve seen some key injuries happen early in the season. Things are different this year as the team is now getting back key players: Eric Berry, Chris Jones, and Parker Ehinger.
2016 was especially rough on Kansas City in terms of the injury bug. Justin Houston, Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Maclin, Allen Bailey, Jaye Howard, and Parker Ehinger all missed significant time due to injury. That is quite a list for any team to have to deal with. However, the Chiefs persevered and still managed a 12-win season and division title.
This year is a bit of a different story. Justin Houston is starting the year off at 100%, while Allen Bailey is back and looking especially strong. There were some early injury hang ups though, as several players, including Chris Jones and Parker Ehinger, started the year on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Granted it was an unpadded practice, but it was good to see Chris Jones and Eric Berry back on the field today. Did some team work.
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) August 21, 2017
Reinforcements Arriving
However, Kansas City is now getting both Chris Jones and Parker Ehinger back from the PUP list. Jones and Ehinger will likely both take starting roles on the Chiefs roster this year, so they are important additions. That’s good news for a team that has already looked really strong at the start of the preseason.
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Joining Parker Ehinger and Chris Jones on the field will be superstar safety Eric Berry. The Chiefs All Pro has been dealing with a heel injury for the past three weeks, but now looks to be back in the mix. He will also take over his former starting role.
This should excite Chiefs fans quite a bit. The team has already looked very good early on, but is now adding three more starters to the mix, one of them an All Pro. Usually when we talk about the “rich getting richer”, it’s in regards to the Patriots. It would be nice for Kansas City to be on the receiving end of that for once.
Maybe More To Come
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There are still some key players the Kansas City Chiefs are waiting on as well. Corner Terrance Mitchell figures to be a starter once he gets back on the field. Veteran pass rusher Tamba Hali will likely play a big role for the Chiefs this year, and it remains to be seen what kind of progress Dadi Nicolas has made over the offseason.
If Kansas City can get fully healthy ahead of the start of the 2017 season, they will be a very difficult team for anyone to deal with. This is a roster with a lot of talent on it, and has become accustomed to winning. The fact that they are getting stronger should be a scary thought for a lot of opponents.
The Kansas City Chiefs already have one of the best rosters in the NFL. The bar is being set pretty high for their expectations in the 2017 season, and beyond. The Chiefs have already looked good in their early preseason action. Getting even more key players back now is just going to make them that much tougher to contend with.