Chiefs injury list grows early as Andy Reid’s camp demands take effect

Kansas City Chiefs Mandatory Minicamp | Aaron M. Sprecher/GettyImages

Are the Giants in a rush to start Jaxson Dart?!

In a way, the Kansas City Chiefs’ injury list speaks for itself.

Andy Reid is known for running a grueling training camp as head coach of the Chiefs. He pushes his players to their limits with sustained practice drives in full pads in the summer heat of St. Joseph in order to generate the sort of experience and stamina needed to withstand the regular season ahead. It’s one reason why the Chiefs are so prepared for both the start of the season and still fresh in December.

Those physical demands were on display at Missouri Western State University on Tuesday, with several players coming up injured due to the taxing demands. The team’s traning staff was busy throughout, although the Chiefs are never reckless in their approach. Rather, the sort of injuries that flared up are typical as a roster gets back to the rigors of pro practices.

“It’s hard work. You know, you’re out here in the heat, and it’s tough, but the guys battled through. I appreciate the tempo they set and all the energy that they gave,” said Reid, in his remarks to reporters following the latest day of practice at Chiefs camp.

It was hard to keep track of all of the players being attended to by the Chiefs’ training staff, but Coach Reid gave a full rundown of the injuries for the team.

Jeffrey Bassa, LB – ankle sprain

The Chiefs were thrilled when Bassa fell to them in the draft’s fifth round. Will be interesting to see how severe the sprain is going forward into the second week of camp.

Jake Briningstool, TE – hamstring

Briningstool was a holdover injury from the previous day after the team activated fellow TE Tre Watson from the Physically Unable to Play list. He’s a darkhorse to make the active roster as a rookie free agent, so missing multiple days is not good in a competition with Jared Wiley and Robert Tonyan for reps.

Deon Bush, S – hamstring

Bush is a known commodity as a special teams favorite and safety, so the Chiefs aren’t worried about figuring out what they have here or how he would fit.

Eric Scott, DB – hamstring

Darius Rush, DB – hamstring

The Chiefs will be sorting through several of these fringe defensive backs for a practice squad spot or two, so the injuries aren’t helping that decision-making process.

Xavier Worthy, WR – “banged his head”

This sounds worse than it appeared since Worthy finished practice with the team, but Reid mentioned him anyway.

Hollywood Brown, WR – ankle

We’ve already covered Brown’s ankle injury and what it means in greater detail here.

Cooper McDonald, LB – illness

The former TCU linebacker was out of practice due to illness in camp. Should be a short-term concern even as he remains a longshot to make the roster.

Skyy Moore, WR – hamstring

Moore walked out of practice, giving the Chiefs yet another concern at the WR position. The sky isn’t falling, however, since these injuries all appear to be minor ones. It is a reminder of how things have gone at the position over the last couple of seasons.