Linebacker Leo Chenal was injured after recovering a fumble on the Kansas City Chiefs’ first defensive drive against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. Though the extent of his injury is unclear, early reports are that his hip appears to be the issue, and his return is questionable.
#Chiefs LB Leo Chenal has a hip injury and is questionable to return per @KCChiefs_Matt. He recovered the fumble on the opening drive.
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) August 26, 2023
Chenal is expected to be a key contributor to Kansas City’s defense in 2023. His status will be something for fans to monitor ahead of the regular season kickoff in September. In his absence, standout linebacker Cole Christiansen should get more snaps against Cleveland as the Chiefs’ coaching staff assesses his viability as a potential depth option in the middle of the team’s defense.
Make note of Kansas City’s defensive adjustments with Chenal out of the lineup. The Browns offense has been impressive to this point in the preseason, scoring 15 or more points in each of their three exhibition games, so the Chiefs will have their work cut out for them with a starter off the field.