The Kansas City Chiefs continued their preparation for another potential Super Bowl run earlier this week when they acquired Josh Uche from the New England Patriots. The Chiefs already had one of the best defenses in the NFL and that’s even truer after adding a pass rusher with 16.5 sacks in the last three seasons.
Any time there’s a trade, it’s only natural for fans to wonder when a team’s newest player will make their debut. The Chiefs aren’t in action until Monday when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arrowhead Stadium, leaving Kansas City fans hopeful that the extra day will be enough to get Uche into the lineup.
On Thursday, head coach Andy Reid shed some light on Uche’s Week 9 outlook.
Chiefs News: Josh Uche Could Play in Week 9
According to ESPN‘s Adam Teicher, Reid told reporters that “there’s a good chance” that Uche will make his Chiefs debut on Monday Night Football. The 66-year-old head coach made it clear that while Kansas City was content with its edge rushing group, the coaches ” know how important that position is and that’s why” the team acquired Uche.
It’ll be interesting to see how many snaps Uche gets if he does end up playing in Week 9. The former Michigan defender typically played in a situational pass rushing role while with the Patriots, resulting in a 35% share of defensive snaps.
Whether or not Reid & Co. keep him in that role remains to be seen.
Even if he didn’t see the most playing time in New England, Uche still made the most of his opportunities. The ex-2020 second-rounder tallied 10 solo tackles and 2.0 sacks in his first seven games with the Patriots. He’s also amassed 13 pressures (9 hurries, 2 QB hits, 2 sacks) which currently results in a 72.7 pass rush grade on Pro Football Focus — the 23rd-best mark among 16 qualified edge defenders.
Uche may not fully be up to speed with the playbook just yet, however, that doesn’t change the fact that the Chiefs could use his help on Monday. The Buccaneers have done a good job at protecting QB Baker Mayfield as they head into Week 9 with PFF‘s No. 4 pass block grade (79.1).
Whether or not Uche plays might not matter, though. The Chiefs are projected to blow out the Buccaneers as they currently sit as the 9.5-point MNF favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
