The Kansas City Chiefs get the week off for the wild-card round of the playoffs after securing the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye week. That time off will give a pair of injured Chiefs players more of an opportunity to get healthy according to Andy Reid.
Reid first gave an update on Frank Clark, who left Week 18’s tilt with the Las Vegas Raiders with a groin strain.
“I don’t have any (new) injuries,” Reid told reporters on Monday. “We came out pretty clean on it. It looks like Frank (Clark), after his MRI, the groin looks like it’s more of a mild one. He should be (able to) return after a little rest that we have here. We’ll give the guys a few days off and then reconvene here later.”
Clark’s injury being a minor one will give him a better chance to return and play during the divisional round of the playoffs. Soft tissue injuries are fickle, so it’ll be important to monitor his practice status throughout the week leading up to the game.
As for WR Mecole Hardman, who Reid thought would play in Week 18, he’s progressing in his return from an abdomen injury. It’s possible that he’s healthy and ready to go for the divisional round, but Reid emphasized the importance of the practice week for Hardman.
“Yeah, so I thought he might be able to go this past week,” Reid said. “That’s a hiccup on my end. He’s trying. He’s trying to get this thing right. It’s just a matter of time. He’s really day-to-day. Although, he feels better today than he did on Saturday. So, we’ll just see how it goes during practice.”
Overall, it’ll be good for everyone to get the week off. It’ll allow some of the bumps and bruises from the season to improve as the players head into the most important stretch of the year.
