As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, head coach Andy Reid has provided the first official injury update of the week, revealing the status of several key members of the team.
“[Cornerback] Nazeeh [Johnson], who’s getting better with the concussion part, he can do the walkthroughs, he did that, is getting better, but he won’t practice though,” Reid said. “And then JuJu [Smith-Schuster] won’t practice, but making progress. Mike Danna will be out there and he will practice.”
Smith-Schuster (hamstring) and Danna (pectoral) both missed all of last week’s practices, leading to both being sidelined in Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Smith-Schuster attempted to play in KC’s Week 7 showdown with the San Francisco 49ers but left early in the game due to a setback with the hamstring injury which caused him to be limited for two practices ahead of the 49ers game.
Danna has missed three games this season, including the last two due to the pectoral injury.
The Chiefs bolstered their wide receiver room and defensive end rotation by making trades for former Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and former New England Patriots defender Joshua Uche, perhaps easing the timeline for Smith-Schuster and Danna.
Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson left KC’s game against the Raiders due to a concussion. Johnson started the game as KC’s new No. 2 cornerback opposite Trent McDuffie following Jaylen Watson’s ankle injury and placement on injured reserve.
Reid also provided a brief update on sidelined running back Isiah Pacheco, who continues to recover from his fractured fibula that landed him on IR early in the season.
“He’s getting there, but he’s doing fantastic,” Reid said. “He’s really doing well. Between the trainers and doctors and all that, that’s out of my hands there. But he’s making great progress.”
Reid also noted that offensive lineman Ethan Driskell will not practice on Thursday due to an illness.