Tag: Lucas Niang

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Wednesday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates on Mecole Hardman and Lucas Niang ahead of Wednesday’s practice.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided his usual pre-practice injury update as the practice week got started on Wednesday.

Everyone is expected to practice outside of WR Mecole Hardman according to Reid. An abdominal injury, which is still being evaluated, popped up after the Week 9 game for Hardman.

“As far as the injuries go, Mecole Hardman has some abdominal soreness,” Reid said. “So, he’s being evaluated and you know this has been going on for a day now — a couple of days now actually. We’re just going to see where and how he is. They don’t have an absolute on it right now, so they’re still doing some tests on it.”

It’s unclear at this time what they’re exactly testing for or whether Hardman is at risk of missing any playing time. In the past three games, Hardman has accounted for five total touchdowns, so an absence for any length of time would be a big hit to the offense.

The good news is that Jody Fortson is expected to return to practice in some capacity. Also, Deon Bush and Jaylen Watson, who were both injured during the Week 9 game against the Tennessee Titans are expected to practice.

As for Lucas Niang, who was designated to return to practice from the Reserve/PUP list last week, it might be another week before the team activates him to the 53-man roster.

“Yeah, he’s working very hard and making progress,” Reid said of Niang. “He’s not there yet, but he’s working at it.”

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Wednesday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates on Jody Fortson, Lucas Niang, Blake Bell, Trent McDuffie and Kadarius Toney ahead of Wednesday’s practice.

The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the building preparing to face the Tennessee Titans on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 9.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided his pre-practice injury update on Wednesday, providing some good news as players hit the field for practice. He started, however, with the lone player expected to miss practice to start the week.

“As far as the injuries go, Jody Fortson is really the only one that isn’t going to practice today,” Reid said. “He’s got a quad contusion.”

It’s unclear whether Fortson’s injury occurred back in Week 7 or during the bye week. It doesn’t appear to be serious.

As for the good news, the Chiefs will welcome back a player from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Wednesday. According to Reid, the Chiefs have opened the 21-day practice window for OT Lucas Niang. Trent McDuffie and Kadarius Toney will also be among the players practicing.

“Then the people that are coming back here, (Trent) McDuffie will be back, (Lucas) Niang will be back,” Reid said. “Then we added Kadarius (Toney). He’s healthy. He’ll practice.”

Niang suffered a torn patellar tendon in Week 17 last year and began the season on the Reserve/PUP list. Reid emphasized that Niang has worked really hard to get back onto the field, but cautioned that they’ll have to see how he does before making the decision to activate him. Reid also updated media members on the status of TE Blake Bell, who suffered a hip flexor injury during the preseason.

“Blake (Bell) is close, he’s close,” Reid said. “We’ll see how he does here over the next week or two and see where we’re at. (Lucas) Niang worked hard and he’s back in. We’ll just see how he does right now. These guys who come back after these long stints off, you want to see how they do on the field.”

Finally, Reid was asked how close Trent McDuffie was to playing Week 7. He explained how they handle bringing players back from reserve lists in a little more detail.

“We try to keep open communication with these guys and see what they’re feeling,” Reid said. “Their coaches know them. See what the coach sees and how the player feels and obviously the medical staff and trainers. When it was all said and done, we just said, ‘You know what, he needs a little bit more time.’ He’s been great communication-wise with us. We know he wants to play.”

It’s important to keep that in mind for Niang as he begins his 21-day practice window and for Bell when he eventually makes his return.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides update on Lucas Niang, Blake Bell

Don’t expect these two #Chiefs players back until sometime after the bye week.

The Kansas City Chiefs are getting ready to welcome back Willie Gay Jr. and Trent McDuffie, but what about the other players on reserve lists?

The team currently has two offensive players who are eligible to return from reserve lists – OT Lucas Niang from the Reserve/PUP list and TE Blake Bell from the Reserve/Injured list. Will they be back anytime soon, though? Their return won’t happen this week, that we know.

Andy Reid was asked about their status during his Wednesday press conference. The was question framed as, “Are these two players you expect to bring back after the bye week?”

“Most likely it would be after the bye, but somewhere after the bye,” Reid said. “They are getting better and we just have to see how it goes.”

So there remains a chance that both players could return this season, but it doesn’t sound like Reid is expecting an immediate return after the bye week either. I’d imagine that they’re hoping to get both players back sometime before the playoffs, but as Reid suggests, they still have to monitor their progress moving forward.

Niang, who would be a welcomed reinforcement on the offensive line, suffered a torn patellar tendon back in Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season. He’s been recovering and rehabbing the injury ever since. Bell, who could also help offset some of the blocking issues the team currently faces, suffered a hip flexor injury in the preseason that ultimately required surgery.

Once either player is designated to return, they’ll have a 21-day practice window opened up. At that point, the team will have those 21 days to decide whether to activate the players to the 53-man roster or keep them on season-ending injured reserve.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Thursday practice

#Chiefs K Harrison Butker won’t practice on Thursday, plus some updates on players on the Reserve/PUP and injured reserve.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave his usual pre-practice injury update ahead of the team’s first practice of the week on Thursday.

After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4, Reid only reported minor injuries. That tracks with the information he provided to reporters to start the practice week. The lone player set to miss practice on Thursday is starting kicker Harrison Butker, who is still dealing with swelling as the result of an ankle sprain suffered in Week 1.

“Really, the only person who won’t practice today is (Harrison) Butker,” Reid said. “He’s still working with that ankle sprain to get the swelling down.”

Reid added some more context on why Butker remains absent from practice.

“Normally, the sprained ankles don’t last long,” Reid said. “He’s just got some swelling in there that he’s got to get out. That’s where we’re at right now. It’s not that he doesn’t want to play.”

Matthew Wright, who filled in for Butker in Week 4, was 5-for-5 on extra points and 2-for-2 on field goals during the game (32 yards and 44 yards distance on the field goals). He also had eight kickoffs, six of which were touchbacks. Should the Chiefs need him to play in Week 5, they’ll be comfortable with him.

Reid also provided updates on two players who are on reserve lists. Lucas Niang is eligible to return to practice from the Reserve/PUP list this week, but Reid indicated that he’s not quite ready yet.

“He’s close, but not quite there yet,” Reid said of Niang. “I mean, he’s working through it. But he’s not ready (to practice).”

Another player who will be eligible to practice a week from now is rookie CB Trent McDuffie. Andy Reid is anticipating that he’ll be at practice next week.

“He’s doing great,” Reid said of McDuffie. “He’s got this week here and I think he’ll maybe get back in there next week.”

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Chiefs OT Lucas Niang now eligible to return to practice from Reserve/PUP list

#Chiefs OT Lucas Niang is now eligible to return to practice after beginning the season on the Reserve/PUP list.

The Kansas City Chiefs can start the process to bring back one of their injured players this week.

Beginning on the day after a team’s fourth regular season game, players who are on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list can begin practicing. Players previously had to miss six games, but the NFL reduced the number of games on their reserve lists this offseason.

The Chiefs placed OT Lucas Niang on the Reserve/PUP list during 53-man roster cuts. He suffered a patellar tendon tear back in the Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season. He has been allowed to attend team meetings and rehab at team facilities since being placed on the Reserve/PUP list, but he’s now allowed to return to practice. Whether he’s ready to return to practice is an entirely different story, though.

Should Niang return to practice, a 21-day practice window will open. He’ll be permitted to practice with the team and if they deem him healthy enough, he can be activated to the 53-man roster from the Reserve/PUP list. If he doesn’t get activated once that 21-day window is up, he’d be placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Niang, 24, is a former third-round draft pick out of TCU. He opted out during his rookie season due to COVID-19. He appeared in 12 games last season with nine starts, mostly at the right tackle position.

Back in April, Chiefs GM Brett Veach said Niang was right on schedule, but he cautioned that this particular injury is a tough one for linemen. That’s something to keep in mind now that he’s eligible to return to practice. If he’s not ready, the Chiefs are not required to open up his practice window.

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Chiefs to place OT Lucas Niang on Reserve/PUP list

#Chiefs OT Lucas Niang will start the season on the Reserve/PUP list, which means he’ll miss the first four games of the season at a minimum.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made a decision regarding OT Lucas Niang’s status ahead of the 2022 NFL season.

Effective at 3:00 p.m. CT today, NFL teams are allowed move players from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list to the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Niang, who is the Chiefs’ lone remaining player on the Active/PUP list, will be moved to Reserve/PUP list according to multiple reports.

That means Niang will no longer count against the 80-man offseason roster limit, but it also has some meaning as far as his status for the 2022 NFL season is concerned. Four games must elapse during the regular season before Niang can return to practice. When he returns to practice, the team will have a 21-day window to activate Niang from the list.

The NFL and NFLPA ratified new roster rules for the 2022 NFL season and one of the changes was to decrease the number of games players on the PUP list missed. Players previously had to miss six games before they could return to practice.

Niang suffered a torn patellar tendon in Week 17 of last season. It’s a notoriously difficult injury for a big man to come back from, but he’s been hard at work all offseason. He was placed on the Active/PUP list at the onset of the team’s training camp in July. He did attend training camp and rehab with the team while on the Active/PUP list.

It’s probably wise for the Chiefs to play things safe with Niang and his injury. He’s still allowed to attend team meetings and use team facilities for rehab and recovery work. The team won’t be able to activate his 21-day practice window until the onset of Week 5. That means the team could realistically see Niang back in the fold well before the bye week.

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Bleacher Report names two players Ravens should consider trading for before 2022 season begins

Bleacher Report named two players that the Ravens should consider trading for before the 2022 season begins

The Baltimore Ravens have built an extremely solid roster heading into the 2022 season. They have focused on acquiring key depth at multiple different positions through free agency and the draft, while also retaining old players and getting others back from injury hopefully sooner rather than later. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t make any other additions between now and the start of the year.

When listing off one player each team should offer before the 2022 season begins, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report named Baltimore’s player as safety Chuck Clark. However, he named the Ravens as a team that could acquire two names, the first being Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang.

“This offseason, general manager Brett Veach signed veteran Geron Christian and drafted Darian Kinnard in the fifth round. Both can play right tackle. Niang’s standing is suddenly in question after only one year…The Ravens are much older on the right side. Morgan Moses and Kevin Zeitler are 31 and 32, respectively. General manager Eric DeCosta did select Daniel Faalele in this year’s fourth round, but the Ravens experienced so many injuries along their offensive front the last two years that a small investment in another middle-round talent will give them even better depth.”

Sobleski then names Baltimore as an option for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor, stating that the Ravens are “an obvious landing spot”.

“The Philadelphia Eagles have all but given up on wide receiver Jalen Reagor just two years after making him a first-round selection…According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Philadelphia has continued to shop the 23-year-old…The Baltimore Ravens are an obvious landing spot after moving Marquise Brown during the draft. The team didn’t address the wide receiver position after doing so. Instead, Lamar Jackson and Co. will rely heavily on Rashod Bateman to blossom in Year 2 with little beyond him.”

Baltimore seems set at offensive tackle for now, especially with Morgan Moses, Ja’Wuan James, Daniel Faalele, and hopefully a healthy Ronnie Stanley in the fold. However, if the group gets hit hard with injuries, maybe general manager Eric DeCosta will pick up the phone and try to bring in a player like Niang, who still has the potential to turn into a quality starter.

As for Reagor, the Ravens’ wide receiver group has many questions surrounding it. They are relying on plenty of young talent already in players such as Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche II and Tylan Wallace, and adding another non-veteran option might be a tad redundant. Reagor has struggled in Philadelphia ever since being a first-round selection in 2020, and maybe if injuries occur he could be a solid fit for Baltimore. However, a more experienced option seems like the better option for the team if they do choose to add more at wideout.

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Chiefs place 4 players on PUP list to start training camp

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid suggested this was coming with four players going on the active/PUP list to start #ChiefsCamp.

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed three players on the active/PUP list to start training camp, just as we predicted they would.

Andy Reid suggested this was coming during his injury update at the onset of training camp arrivals on Friday. Each of CB Rashad Fenton (shoulder), OT Lucas Niang (knee), and WR Justyn Ross (foot) had surgery this offseason and won’t be healthy enough to participate at the start of training camp. OT Prince Tega Wanogho (leg) will also join them on the PUP list.

What does their movement to the active/PUP list mean, though? Here is an explanation from our earlier article:

“Players who are placed on the active/PUP list can participate in Chiefs’ team meetings, do solo conditioning and work with the team training staff. They’re simply prohibited from practicing with the team while they remain on the PUP list. Players who are on the active/PUP list count against the 90-man offseason roster and they can be activated from the PUP list at any time during training camp.

If a player were to remain on the PUP list through training camp they’ll be sent to the reserve/PUP list to start the season. From there players now have to wait for just four regular-season games to elapse before they can return to practice. Once they return to practice, the team will then have a 21-day window to activate the player to the 53-man roster. If a player isn’t activated during that window, the Chiefs will be forced to place them on injured reserve.”

As you can see, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Fenton, Niang, Ross and Tega Wanogho will be out for the duration of training camp. We’ll monitor their status throughout the course of camp and provide you with any updates should they return to action.

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3 Chiefs players who could open up training camp on PUP list

We take a look at three players who could start #Chiefs training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

When the Kansas City Chiefs rookies, quarterbacks and injured players report to training camp on Friday, July 22nd, there will likely be a few transactions made to add players to the active/PUP list.

This is done for players who are deemed physically unable to participate in training camp due to a football-related injury. Players who are placed on the active/PUP list can participate in Chiefs’ team meetings, do solo conditioning and work with the team training staff. They’re simply prohibited from practicing with the team while they remain on the PUP list. Players who are on the active/PUP list count against the 90-man offseason roster and they can be activated from the PUP list at any time during training camp.

If a player were to remain on the PUP list through training camp they’ll be sent to the reserve/PUP list to start the season. From there players now have to wait for just four regular-season games to elapse before they can return to practice. Once they return to practice, the team will then have a 21-day window to activate the player to the 53-man roster. If a player isn’t activated during that window, the Chiefs will be forced to place them on injured reserve.

There are three particular players who look like they could be heading for a stay on the active/PUP list at the onset of the 2022 Chiefs training camp. Here is a quick look at each:

Ranking the AFC West offensive tackle duos

Ranking the AFC West offensive tackle duos

Offenses rely heavily on the pass protectors in order to be able to execute their plays. If the edge rushers get into the backfield, it doesn’t matter how open the receivers get, the quarterback isn’t getting the ball to them.

The common theme in the AFC West seems to be quality left tackles, with less talent at the right tackle spot. You’re only as strong as your weakest link, after all.

1. Denver Broncos

Starters: LT Garrett Bolles, RT Billy Turner

After some troubles early in his career, Bolles has become one of the best tackles in football. He was second-team All-Pro a season ago and was still among the highest-rated tackles this season. Meanwhile, Billy Turner has quietly played pretty well at right tackle, giving up just three sacks last season.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Starters: LT Orlando Brown Jr, RT Lucas Niang

Brown headed to his third straight Pro Bowl last season, his first with the Chiefs since they acquired him in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. He gave up just four sacks last season. On the other side, Niang has taken ahold of the right tackle job and performed pretty well over nine starts last season. The 2020 third-round pick gave up just two sacks from the right side.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Starters: LT Rashawn Slater, RT Trey Pipkins

As a rookie first-round pick, Slater headed to the Pro Bowl. That says all you need to know about his talent level. There is some uncertainty on the other side, but Pipkins looked fairly good in two late-season starts — giving up no sacks — that if they decide to go with him, they could feel confident in doing so.

4. Las Vegas Raiders

Starters: LT Kolton Miller, RT Alex Leatherwood

Miller can hang with the best in the division at left tackle. There’s no question about that. But there are serious questions about the other side. Leatherwood has been lining up there throughout the offseason after playing himself out of a job four games into last season. It’s no certainty he continues to be the first-team right tackle, but the fact that he’s been lining up there so far says there aren’t any great options there.

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