The news came down last night that Kansas City Chiefs CB Charvarius Ward had exited the game with a hand injury and wouldn’t return. Andy Reid would later confirm that Ward had fractured his hand. It looks like that fracture will ultimately require surgery.
According to a new report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Ward is slated to have surgery to repair the fracture in his hand. Typically, surgery is bad news for the likelihood of any player and their ability to play. There is certainly a chance that Ward could play with a cast or club on his hand during Week 2, but it will be up to Ward and the Chiefs’ training staff to make that determination. Rapoport does note that the Chiefs have a longer turnaround time with three extra days to prepare for the Los Angeles Chargers.
#Chiefs CB Charvarius Ward is slated for surgery on his broken hand, source said. But based on the position he plays, it wouldn’t be unprecedented if he puts a cast on it and plays. Plus, Ward and KC have 3 extra days to get ready for their next game.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 11, 2020
This is reminiscent of Kendall Fuller’s thumb injuries in 2018 and 2019. In 2018 he was back in action very quickly while wearing a cast after having surgery on his thumb and wrist area. In 2019, he had surgery on the same thumb and missed several weeks during the middle of the season before returning for the Super Bowl push.
Ward could be pressed into playing action given how thin the Chiefs are at the corner position with the suspension to Bashaud Breeland. The good news is that rookie L’Jarius Sneed was exceptional in his debut, so the team shouldn’t feel like they need to rush Ward back into action if he’s not ready to go.
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