How Byron Pringle to the injured reserve impacts the Kansas City Chiefs

Byron Pringle is heading to the injured reserve after suffering an injury against the Raiders. How does this impact the Kansas City Chiefs?

It was announced on Tuesday that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Byron Pringle would be placed on injured reserve after getting injured in Sunday’s win over the Raiders. While Pringle isn’t someone putting up eye-popping numbers, his move to the IR does impact the Chiefs.

Aside from Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs haven’t been getting much out of their wide receivers this year. They have Travis Kelce at tight end and Clyde Edwards-Helaire at running back, but the wide receiver position hasn’t been great.

Losing Pringle takes away yet another weapon for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense. Pringle has just nine catches this year for 108 yards, but he tends to come through with a clutch catch whenever he’s touching the ball. He’s also someone the team can rely on in special teams play.

Byron Pringle to the IR means other Kansas City Chiefs receivers need to step up.

We saw on Sunday that Demarcus Robinson isn’t going to be a Chief past this season and that Mecole Hardman hasn’t developed into what the Chiefs were hoping he could be (though it’s still early into Hardman’s career). Sammy Watkins hasn’t played since Week 5 and he’s set to return this week (and now the Chiefs need him more than ever), so really, outside of Hill, it’s been a lot of disappointment at wide receiver.

Pringle going to IR isn’t the end of the world for the Chiefs, but it does take away another weapon from Mahomes. The good news, however, is that this should be what gets Watkins back into the lineup. He almost played this past week but didn’t end up suiting up and taking the field.

Pringle was undrafted out of Kansas State and we didn’t truly get to see him in action until last season. He had one huge game against the Colts and also had a key first down against the Lions the previous week. Pringle’s been proving that he belongs on this offense and is a key member. Trey Donovan of KC Kingdom wrote an article last month about how Pringle needed more snaps in the offense and it’s hard to argue that.

Hopefully, the Chiefs get Pringle back in time for the playoffs because the more weapons that Mahomes has, the better the Chiefs’ chances are at running it back.