The Kansas City Chiefs are dealing with some major attrition during their AFC Championship Game matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In the first half, CB L’Jarius Sneed was ruled out of the game with a head injury. Then WR Kadarius Toney left the game with an ankle injury.
In the second half, they suffered several injuries in a short time. On the sixth defensive play of the second half, LB Willie Gay Jr. was down on the field with an injury. He eventually walked off the field and was escorted to the locker room by the training staff.
Later in the third quarter, Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and WR Mecole Hardman both left the game. Smith-Schuster hobbled off the field with some sort of lower-body injury. Hardman took a big hit and immediately started grasping for his abdomen, which is the injury that had him on injured reserve and out since Week 9 of the season.
Gay Jr. is questionable with a shoulder, Hardman questionable with a abdomen/pelvis and Smith-Schuster questionable with a knee injury.
LB Willie Gay (shoulder), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), and WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) are questionable to return. pic.twitter.com/NWhBWdrOKR
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 30, 2023
Remember, the Chiefs were shorthanded at receiver heading into this game with Justin Watson inactive. They’ve now lost three receivers in this game and have just Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Marcus Kemp available if Smith-Schuster and Hardman don’t return. They might need Noah Gray and Jody Fortson to work as receivers if they suffer any more injuries.
On top of all of that, Patrick Mahomes is finally starting to feel his ankle injury in this one. He’s been hobbling around since about the seven-minute mark in the third quarter.
