Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided his usual postgame injury update following the AFC Championship Game win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The team suffered several injuries during the course of the game against the Bengals. In the first half, CB L’Jarius Sneed was ruled out of the game with a concussion and WR Kadarius Toney left the game with an ankle injury. In the second half of the game, LB Willie Gay Jr. suffered a shoulder injury, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster had a knee injury and WR Mecole Hardman aggravated his pelvis injury.
Reid confirmed four of those injuries and had comments on two more players battling through.
“As far as injuries go, L’Jarius Sneed, he had the concussion,” Reid said. “Kadarius Toney’s ankle, he tweaked that. JuJu Smith-Schuster that knee acted up on him from the week. Mecole Hardman gave it his best, as did all these guys. It’s a tribute to the work ethic, Pat (Mahomes) and Travis Kelce. . .”
Clark Hunt said in his postgame interview that it felt like the Chiefs encountered a season’s worth of injuries in the span of a week and he just might be right. Leading into the game, Patrick Mahomes battled through an ankle injury. Travis Kelce was a late addition to the injury report with a back injury.
Reid attributed the performance of his injured stars to one thing.
“It was pure grit,” Reid said. “(Patrick Mahomes) and (Travis) Kelce. For Pat to do what he did and to have that run at the end, I can’t say enough. He is the MVP in my eyes.”
The training staff also received a boatload of praise from both Mahomes, Kelce and Reid.
“Yeah, well I mean he went out and practiced,” Reid said of Mahomes. “He pushed off that thing and did all the stuff. He lived in the training room. Rick Burkholder and Julie (Frymyer), I mean the job that they did with him, getting him ready and him spending all the time. I’m sure he went home and his wife was probably working on him too. Everybody was taking concern for him.”
Thankfully, the Chiefs will now have a week to rest and recover after this hard-fought battle. It’ll give everyone a chance to get as healthy as possible ahead of their matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
