Just when it seemed things couldn't get any more frustrating for the Kansas City Chiefs, the franchise dampened fans' Thanksgiving Day with a 31-28 loss while losing a myriad of key pieces to injuries. This loss was by far the worst of the season, considering not only the timing but the cost. Already, Kansas City was without star right guard Trey Smith, who is dealing with an ankle injury. This would only get worse on Thursday, with the Chiefs losing both of their starting tackles to injury.
It doesn't appear that either injury is being taken lightly, with The Kansas City Star's Pete Sweeney reporting that rookie Josh Simmons had a cast on his wrist and his arm in a sling. Obviously, this isn't horribly reassuring to fans hoping for a quick recovery. Wearing a sling and a cast paints a very dark picture for the line moving forward.
Head coach Andy Reid did nothing to assuage these concerns, offering only "We'll have to see how they recover," when asked about the injury. The comment comes via A to Z Sports Charles Goldman, who also noted safety Bryan Cook was dealing with a right ankle injury, while right tackle Jawaan Taylor is dealing with a triceps injury.
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Does Little to Erase Concerns After Costly Thanksgiving Loss
Reid offering so little hope is both indicative of the fact that it is early and that it doesn't bode well. While we don't know anything yet for sure, the head coach offering little positivity isn't a great sign for the weeks ahead. Kansas City is set for a Sunday Night Football matchup next week and will be tasked with taking on a Houston Texans front that leads the league in yardage given up and is 6th in sacks.
It's hard to imagine these injuries coming at a worse time. Not only is the upcoming matchup working against the Chiefs, but Kansas City is sitting firmly out of the playoff picture and quickly putting themselves in a position where they will need to run the table to have a great chance of getting into the playoffs.
It is hard to fathom that this is how far the 2025 season has fallen after reaching three straight Super Bowls. No question, the Chiefs have underachieved and been a profound disappointment even when their roster has been healthy this season. Now they're fighting an uphill battle of trying to protect Patrick Mahomes with an offensive line that is falling apart at the worst possible moment.
Reid not offering a lot of positivity seems to indicate that the Chiefs are going to have to lean further on questionable depth as they search for answers on the outside. Jaylon Moore has already filled in for Simmons this season and did so at a high level. However, the next option is Wanya Morris, who is a walking liability. Kansas City fans have to hope that Taylor can get back in the lineup and offer the Chiefs a starting duo capable of keeping Mahomes upright.
Something that Reid's comments didn't exactly leave a lot of hope for, as the 2025 season continues to invent ways for things to go wrong.