New Chiefs Injury on Thursday is Major Concern Amid Benchings
By Joe Summers
The Chiefs received a truly concerning piece of injury news on Thursday, as RT Jawaan Taylor was limited in practice and suddenly could miss Sunday Night Football against the Chargers.
Considering the massive problems Kansas City has dealt with at the tackle position, Taylor's absence could be catastrophic.
Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia have been terrible by any objective measure. While Taylor hasn't been particularly good in his own right, he's still a dramatic upgrade over the possible alternatives.
Chiefs LT Jawaan Taylor Limited at Thursday's Practice
Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) was limited Thursday in practice. That would be a standard move for the Chiefs with a player nursing a knee issue when working in the indoor facility. He was a full participant in Wednesday’s short, non-padded practice outside.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) December 5, 2024
This has the potential to completely derail the Chiefs against a stout Chargers defense on Sunday. Taylor is a disappointment, though there are few variables that could make fans appreciate him more than being forced to watch Morris, Suamataia, or Ethan Driskell block for Patrick Mahomes instead.
The conversations about Taylor's contract are for another day. It's a bad one. Even still, he's better than "maybe the worst tackles in the NFL" and that's the most important variable to consider.
Should Taylor be limited on Sunday or miss the game entirely, it's hard to see Kansas City escaping with a victory. Brett Veach, unfortunately, did a poor job securing tackle depth in the offseason. It's one of his few mistakes and we've seen it play out over the course of the campaign.
Undrafted rookie Ethan Driskell may legitimately be the best option behind Taylor. That's a massive problem and one that'd only become more obvious against rushers like Khalil Mack.
Until this report, little suggested that Taylor wouldn't be able to suit up on Sunday. It's generally expected that he'll still play, yet he could still suffer a setback that forces him to leave early. That's bad news for an offensive line that desperately needs help on the outside.
D.J. Humphries should make his debut for the Chiefs on Sunday. He's a major upgrade at left tackle, though Morris might be thrown right back into the mix to replace Taylor. If that happens, Kansas City could have a large problem.
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