KCKingdom
Fansided

Chiefs Coach Vents About Big 'Concern' After Training Camp

By Joe Summers

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City head coach Andy Reid (left) with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo against the Buffalo Bills for the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City head coach Andy Reid (left) with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo against the Buffalo Bills for the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The Chiefs have dealt with a number of injuries throughout training camp, primarily on the defensive end as the unit hopes to rank among the NFL's best once again despite trading away star cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo isn't happy about the injuries, revealing to the media on Tuesday his frustrations. Spagnuolo doesn't blame any individual player of course, though does reference the difficulty of getting his team ready without all of the key contributors.

Justin Reid, Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson, Chris Jones, and Nick Bolton have all missed time during training camp, though the organization hopes all will be ready to go when the Chiefs take on the Ravens in Week 1 on September 5.

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo Vents About Camp Injuries

"More frustrating than annoying because it’s really part of it," Spagnuolo said when asked about the injuries. "I don’t believe we’ve had the – let’s call it our top 11, 12, or 13, whatever that is. I don’t think we’ve had them on the field for one play. That’s concerning (and) frustrating...I did say to them, 'Those things are out of our control. I can’t control guys getting hurt, (but) what we can control is our conditioning and being ready to play and all of that.'"

Considering Kansas City has to face a series of top offenses to start the year with Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Atlanta before a divisional matchup with Los Angeles, getting the defense off to a hot start remains a critical goal.

The second cornerback position is still up for grabs, with the various injuries making it difficult for any one player to truly stand out yet.

"It’s making it really difficult to decide which way to go," continued Spagnuolo. "We’ve got one more game. Some of these guys will play that are still fighting for jobs, but we can’t say there is a starting other corner right now."

Spagnuolo and the other coaches have just over two weeks to decide on a starting 11. The Chiefs face the Bears on Thursday in their respective preseason finales, so let's hope all players are able to stay healthy in what's become a big game for those fighting for roster spots.

More Kansas City Chiefs News:

feed

Home/Kansas City Chiefs