Tag: Rashad Fenton

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Wednesday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates ahead of practice on Wednesday, telling reporters the team would be without one player to start the practice week.

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The Kansas City Chiefs will have their first practice of the week ahead of their Week 14 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Andy Reid provided his usual pre-practice injury update to the media on Wednesday, and there’s good news for the Chiefs this week. A pair of players will return to practice after missing the past week, the team will have one injury-related absence stemming from the Week 13 win over the Denver Broncos.

“As far as the injuries go, Chris Lammons with the high ankle sprain, he’s the only one we need to talk about,” Reid said. “Other than that, everyone is healthy and is going to practice.”

Lammons suffered an ankle injury during the opening kickoff of the game, but he played three more snaps during the course of the game. Asked about his status for the upcoming week given the high ankle sprain, Reid suggested the team has players who could fill in for Lammons if necessary.

“We’ll just see how that rolls,” Reid said. “We’ve got some guys, though. (Josh) Jackson, you guys know about, he can work in there and do some things too. We’ve got a variety of guys that we can use.”

The Chiefs protected Jackson on the practice squad on Tuesday, suggesting that he could be a standard elevation later in the week and replace Lammons.

As far as the returning players are concerned, both RT Lucas Niang and CB Rashad Fenton are due back at practice to start the week. Niang has been out the past several weeks with a rib injury. Fenton has been dealing with a knee sprain suffered during the Week 11 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

“Yeah, so they’re going to try it this week and get some work,” Reid said. “We’ll just see how they do. With that, they’re going to practice. They’re going to work it out.”

Fenton has been one of the Chiefs’ best cover corners this season, but don’t anticipate the team rushing him back. Niang will be interesting to watch as Andrew Wylie has become a reliable presence at the right tackle position in recent weeks.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides updates on injured players on Friday

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid ruled out CB Rashad Fenton and RT Lucas Niang, also providing an update on RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s absence from practice on Friday.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be shorthanded on the right side of the offensive line and in the defensive secondary against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Reid ruled out a pair of players prior to the team releasing their official injury report. Both RT Lucas Niang and CB Rashad Fenton didn’t participate in practice on Friday and won’t play against the Broncos in Week 13.

“As far as the injuries go, Rashad Fenton and Lucas Niang, we’ll have them listed as out,” Reid said.

This will be the third consecutive game missed by Niang, who is still recovering from a rib injury suffered against the Green Bay Packers. Niang tried to give it a go early on in the practice week, but he was a non-participant in each of the final two days of practice.

As for Fenton, he didn’t practice at all this week. He’s dealing with a knee strain suffered during the Week 11 win over the Dallas Cowboys. That’s a big loss for Kansas City, as Fenton has been one of the team’s best corners this season.

His absence means that the team will rely on either Mike Hughes or Deandre Baker to fill in when the Chiefs go to their nickel defense. Thankfully, the Broncos are one of the more run-heavy teams that the Chiefs will face and won’t force the team into sub-packages too often.

Finally, Reid spoke about Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who missed practice on Friday with a non-COVID illness.

“Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) had a stomach flu today,” Reid said. “So, he didn’t practice, but he should be fine to go here once we get to the game.”

Even having missed the final practice of the week, Edwards-Helaire looks slated for his second consecutive start since his return from injury.

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Chiefs provide injury updates ahead of Thursday practice

#Chiefs RT Lucas Niang won’t practice on Thursday, raising the question of who will get the start at right tackle against the #Broncos in Week 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to return two players to practice on Thursday, but they’ll also be missing a new player.

According to a Chiefs public relations spokesperson, Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman will return to practice on Thursday after missing Wednesday’s practice with excused absences. The team will also be without Rashad Fenton for the second consecutive practice as he nurses a knee strain suffered in the Week 11 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

The big news, however, comes on the offensive line for Kansas City. After participating in practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday, Chiefs RT Lucas Niang will be a non-participant in Thursday’s practice. Niang first suffered his rib injury during the Week 9 game against Green Bay Packers. He’s missed the past two games with injury, and obviously also had the bye week to recover. It’s unclear what his status will be for Week 13 at this time, but it’s never a good sign when your participation is downgraded during the week.

If Niang doesn’t practice on Friday, it raises the question of who will get the nod at the right tackle position. Andy Reid spoke about the situation with Niang on Wednesday ahead of practice, mentioning that Andrew Wylie is an option to continue starting at that position if Niang wasn’t ready to play.

“Andrew has done a good job, but again, we’ll just see how Niang does and how he feels going forward with it,” Reid explained. “He’ll get some work (Wednesday) and we’ll just see how it goes, but Andrew has experience. (Andy) Heck just kind of rotates everybody and then if they’re good to go, they go.”

The Chiefs could also lean on newly-activated OL Kyle Long, who earned a Pro Bowl selection playing the right tackle position back in 2015. The team obviously has a decision to make, and if they’re going to make a switch to Long, there’s no time like the present. After the bye week is a good time to prepare for and make that type of switch.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Wednesday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates ahead of practice on Wednesday, telling reporters the team would be without CB Rashad Fenton to start the week.

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The Kansas City Chiefs will have their first practice of the week ahead of their Week 13 game against the Denver Broncos.

Andy Reid provided his typical pre-practice injury update to the media on Wednesday. He explained that three players would be absent from practice to start the week, but only one of those players is dealing with an injury.

“Really, (Rashad) Fenton is the only injury we have,” Reid said. “He strained his knee a little bit. So he won’t practice today.”

Fenton suffered his injury during the Week 11 game against the Dallas Cowboys. He banged his knee on a play and crawled to the sideline, sitting out the remainder of the game. His MRI revealed a slight strain, but nothing significant enough to land him on injured reserve. Monitor his status throughout the week as he’s been one of the better cornerbacks for the Chiefs this season.

As for the two absences not related to injury, two of the Chiefs’ top receivers are seemingly excused and will miss practice to start the week.

“Non-injury related are (Mecole) Hardman and (Tyreek) Hill,” Reid continued. “We expect them back here relatively quick.”

Reid also provided some context and clarity surrounding recent activations and placements on the injured reserve list. The Chiefs activated OL Kyle Long from the Reserve/PUP list on Tuesday. Reid spoke about Long’s status and whether he had a chance to play in Week 13.

“Listen, so he’s had a couple of good weeks of practice,” Reid said. “Kind of easing his way back in. He’s up, he’s going to practice today. I think the term is activated onto the roster. We’ll just see how it goes.”

It’s not a guarantee that Long is active for the Week 13 game against the Broncos, but Reid also didn’t rule out the possibility, emphasizing the importance of the practice week for Long.

One of the surprises from Tuesday’s roster moves was Khalen Saunders’ placement on injured reserve. Reid gave some new information about the knee injury that Saunders has been dealing with since Week 7.

“So Khalen (Saunders) hurt his knee and it was kind of a weird deal,” Reid said. “I’m not sure I could even tell you when it happened. But he had a small piece of cartilage and it flipped up in there and it was bugging him. So we took care of it—our doctors took care of it.”

Reid also provided a brief update on both Mike Remmers and Joshua Kaindoh, who remain on injured reserve. According to Reid, neither player is at the point, either healthy or otherwise, to be designated to return to practice.

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2 Chiefs fined by NFL for taunting in Week 11 game vs. Cowboys

#Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and CB Rashad Fenton caught fines for taunting in Week 11 vs. the #Cowboys.

The NFL’s controversial emphasis on enforcing their taunting rules in 2021 has finally struck the Kansas City Chiefs, with fines levied against two players after the team’s win against Dallas. Cornerback Rashad Fenton and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire were both penalized $4,934 and $10,300 respectively for their conduct in Week 11.

NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero broke the news of the fines on Saturday after speculation abounded around whether the players would face financial repercussions for their actions.

Check out his tweets here:

Fenton’s fine was a result of an outburst that came after a pantomime celebration where he appeared to act out firing a gun into the air after making a big tackle. While a financial penalty for such an action would likely be enforced in years past, Edwards-Helaire’s fine has been the center of a larger discussion about whether the league’s rules have gone too far.

The running back was called for taunting after pointing his finger on a touchdown run that seemed pretty tame for a five-digit fine. His penalty moved Kansas City’s extra point back 15 yards, which was no problem for Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker who converted the try from 48 yards.

There is an irony in everything that has transpired since the play in question, as the league used images of Edwards-Helaire’s actions in hype pictures for the primetime matchup on social media. Whether their actions constitute an egregious lack of sportsmanship or not, both players will need to be mindful of their behavior moving forward to avoid putting Kansas City in jeopardy should they be forced to miss time.

For now, though, the precedent seems to be set, for better or worse. The league seems secure in its position that mitigating the extra-curricular outbursts on the field is good for the game. Financial repercussions are the most effective tool the NFL has to regulate the behavior of their players, and the fines given to Fenton and Edwards-Helaire will send a clear message that will not be forgotten in the future.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates after win over Cowboys

2 #Chiefs players are due for MRIs to determine the extent of their injuries following the Week 11 win over the #Cowboys per Andy Reid.

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The Kansas City Chiefs suffered two injuries during their Week 11 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Andy Reid spoke to the media after the game providing his usual update on injured players to start his press conference. He began by talking about RB Jerick McKinnon, who was ruled questionable to return to the game with a hamstring injury. He was later ruled out of the game, and tomorrow he’s expected to undergo tests to evaluate his injury.

“As far as the injuries go, McKinnon hurt his hamstring,” Reid told reporters. “So he came out and we’ll just see. We’ll get him an MRI and check it out.”

The Chiefs just got Clyde Edwards-Helaire back from injured reserve this week after he rehabbed an MCL sprain suffered back in Week 5. Any significant injury to McKinnon could mean that Derrick Gore remains on the 53-man roster for Kansas City for the time being. Gore was a healthy scratch with the return of Edwards-Helaire on Sunday.

As for the other injury, Chiefs starting right CB Rashad Fenton went down late in the game, crawling to the sideline after making a tackle on Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott.

“Then, Fenton, he landed on his knee,” Reid said. “And we’ve just got to —we’ll get an MRI on that tomorrow.”

Fenton has emerged as one of the better coverage players on the Kansas City defense in recent weeks. Entering Week 11, Fenton was the top-ranked cornerback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. Losing him for any stretch of time would be tough for the team. He replaced Mike Hughes, really, starting back in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans.

Thankfully, the Chiefs have a bye week in Week 12, so they’ll have a chance to get a bit healthier over the next seven days as they prepare for the final stretch of the 2021 NFL season.

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Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton fined for taunting Bills WR Stefon Diggs

The NFL has issued a fine to #Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton for allegedly taunting #Bills WR Stefon Diggs. | from @EdEastonJr

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Kansas City Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton’s wallet will be a little lighter after the Week 6 loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Fenton was fined $4,934 for taunting Bills receiver Stefon Diggs. The taunting occurred after Fenton broke up a pass to Diggs for an incompletion near the goal line. Rapoport claims Fenton immediately got into the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s face with his arms folded, but that’s not exactly the case. Fenton wasn’t flagged for a penalty during the game, but the NFL decided to fine him for taunting after the fact.

Diggs had two catches on the night, one being for 61 yards when Daniel Sorensen covered him.

The alleged taunting appears in the video below, but it doesn’t seem like Fenton is in Diggs’ face as he folds his arms to the crowd. Here is a look at the big Diggs reception followed by Fenton’s taunting after breaking up a pass play at the goal line.

The fine seems excessive, considering there wasn’t a penalty called on Fenton during the game, but the NFL has made it an emphasis this season to enforce taunting calls. Cris Collinsworth called the game last Sunday night and he didn’t seem to notice any taunting, paying more attention to the impressive coverage from Fenton on the play.

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Chiefs cornerback depth could be tested vs. Bills in AFC Championship Game

With Bashaud Breeland and Rashad Fenton questionable heading into the game, the Chiefs’ depth could be tested against the Bills.

The Kansas City Chiefs could be short on proven cornerback depth against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.

Starting right cornerback Bashaud Breeland and No. 4 corner Rashad Fenton both have been on the injury report this week for Kansas City. Breeland, along with QB Patrick Mahomes, was in the NFL’s concussion protocol this week. Unlike Mahomes, Breeland carries a questionable game status designation heading into Sunday’s tilt with the Bills. That indicates he has yet to clear the NFL’s concussion protocols as Mahomes has.

Fenton suffered ankle and foot injuries in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was held out of the divisional round against the Cleveland Browns with his injuries, but he’s been practicing in a limited capacity all week. Like Breeland, Fenton is also questionable for the game.

“That is something we’re dancing around with right now,” Steve Spagnuolo said on Thursday. “You’d like to have all of your guys, all of your bodies in the right spots this time of year but we are going through some things that are a little bit in flux. We’re a little uncertain in some spots. Hopefully, it will clear itself up by Sunday or before that so we can get guys ready. It happens in the middle of the game and we have to be prepared. I think our assistant coaches do a terrific job, Dave Merritt and Sam Madison, do a great job back there of rolling guys through. We have a plan and either way, to what you’re addressing if certain guys can’t go, but let’s hope most of our guys can make it to the game.”

The Chiefs remain hopeful that they can get both Breeland and Fenton cleared in time for the game, but if they’re not, that’s when things get tricky. They’ll be plenty capable in terms of their starting lineup with Charvarius Ward and L’Jarius Sneed filling in on the outside and Tyrann Mathieu sliding into the slot. If an injury happened to one of those three players during the game that’s when things could get concerning.

Typically, Fenton would be the first guy off the bench. If he were unavailable, Kansas City has both Antonio Hamilton and rookie CB BoPete Keyes on the 53-man roster. Hamilton has played mostly on special teams for the Chiefs this season. He started the year playing the slot seeing a season-high 38 snaps in Week 1. That number dropped significantly as the year went on. Keyes had his first NFL action in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was targeted five times in that game, giving up four receptions for 51 yards.

If Breeland and Fenton are unable to play, the team would likely elevate DB Chris Lammons from the practice squad. He’s a trusted special teamer and can fill in on the outside or in the slot.

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Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton could remain starter despite Bashaud Breeland’s return

Bashaud Breeland won’t necessarily be the starting right cornerback in Kansas City immediately.

The Kansas City Chiefs have defensive reinforcements in Week 5 with former starting CB Bashaud Breeland returning from a four-game suspension. Breeland was the starting left cornerback for the Chiefs in 2019 and he’s listed as the starting right cornerback on the latest unofficial depth chart to come out of Kansas City.

Despite Breeland’s return to action in Week 5, the Chiefs could hold off on inserting him in the starting lineup. Instead, they could opt to keep Rashad Fenton in as the starter opposite Charvarius Ward. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spoke to reporters on the subject on Thursday.

“Yeah, there’s a couple of ways to think about that,” Spagnuolo said. “But I mean look, Bashaud (Breeland) was a starter for us. We know what he can do. You know it’s game five and going down the stretch here we’re going to need everybody, so you kind of want to get guys oiled up. We’ll tread lightly and see how we figure the whole thing out. But we have a lot of confidence in him and a lot of confidence in the guys in there playing. Hopefully, it can stay that way. I mean, in this league, you know the one thing we all know is that we’re all going to have injuries, right? So you’ve got to overcome injuries. But when you get them all at one position, that’s tough. Last year, we had Mo Claiborne, I think, went through the same thing. Missed four games and then we kind of slowly eased him in as well and got some valuable snaps out of him.”

The Chiefs have the luxury of easing Breeland back into the lineup. The last thing they want to do is put him back out there before he’s acclimated after not playing the last four weeks. You don’t want to risk injury or mistakes from someone that hasn’t been playing or practicing. A similar situation happened with former Chiefs cornerback Mo Claiborne in 2019.

In the meantime, second-year CB Rashad Fenton has been playing exceptionally well. He started in relief of injured rookie L’Jarius Sneed in Week 4, who began the season as the Chiefs’ starter at right cornerback. Fenton cited a better grasp of the defense for his early successes.

“Just more so understanding the defense itself, knowing where I’ve got to be, knowing where other players have to be,” Fenton said Wednesday, following the Week 4 win.

The former sixth-round draft pick felt very satisfied with his performance in Week 4. His biggest objective in 2019 was to further understand the defense and he feels he’s accomplished that. He notched four passes defended and an interception that put the Week 4 game on ice for Kansas City.

“As a sixth-round guy, you’re labeled as just a special team’s guy,” Fenton said. “It’s the game of football, next man up. It’s a gift and a curse, of course, but I was blessed to get more playing time like you said. It just feels good knowing that when your number is called, and you have a job to do that you’re able to get the job done at an exceptional level as the starters would. It just feels good.”

Whatever the Chiefs decide to do at the cornerback position against the Raiders, fans should feel confident with the level of depth they have at the position. If Sneed returns from injured reserve later this season, they could easily have the deepest position group in the league.

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Chiefs 2019 rookie season review: CB Rashad Fenton

Kansas City Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton had a quietly good season, suggesting that he could take on a bigger role in 2020.

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The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2019 NFL Draft and each of those rookies made contributions during the season and postseason. This draft had a mix of offensive and defensive players compared to the 2018 NFL Draft, which was primarily defensive players for the Chiefs. Let’s take a look at Rashad Fenton’s 2019 season and see what we can project for the future.

South Carolina CB Rashad Fenton – 201 overall

Stat

2019 totals
Games played 12
Games started 0
Defensive Snaps 165
Special Teams Snaps 130
Total Tackles 12
Solo Tackles 9
Interceptions 1
Passes defended 4
Forced fumbles 1
QB hit 1

2019 season review:

Chiefs fans didn’t go into this expecting much out of a cornerback drafted in the sixth round. You’ll find that once they saw Fenton called into action, they were pleasantly surprised. Fenton didn’t see his first action on defense until Week 6 of the regular season when Kendall Fuller suffered a thumb injury. He was thrust into action as a young player and he didn’t disappoint.

“Rashad is playing fast,” CB coach Sam Madison said. “When you talk about a guy like Rashad, he’s able to play outside, he’s able to play inside and early on having Kendall Fuller inside, he didn’t really get those reps unless it was walk-through. It was limited throughout the days of practice but now he’s getting those practice plays with Fuller out and he’s playing fast. That’s what we want, these types of football players on the field, and it just pushes everybody else. Hopefully, he will continue to get better. Once again, Juan Thornhill is a rookie and Rashad Fenton is a rookie, so you’ll have those mental lapses here and there. But as long as you’re out there playing fast and trying to make some plays, and he had opportunities, and now you’re able to build off those as a young player. We’re just going to keep feeding him as much as possible and hopefully, he’ll continue to grow.”

Fenton did, in fact, continue to grow. He got his first career interception in Mexico City against the Los Angeles Chargers. Just as he looked to be blossoming as a young corner in the league, Fenton suffered a hamstring injury against the Oakland Raiders in Week 13.

He’d return to action in the final game of the regular season and play a significant role on defense and special teams throughout the playoffs. He recorded one sack, five tackles, a QB hit and a pass defended against the Houston Texans in the divisional round.

2020 season outlook:

Everything about Fenton’s 2019 season suggests that he’s due for a bigger role in 2020. Forget where he was drafted and think about his play on the field. He was dominant against one of the Chiefs’ biggest division rivals in the Los Angeles Chargers. He played more snaps on defense than he did on special teams. He also showed versatility in playing both the outside corner and nickel corner spots.

That’s all before you consider the fact that Charvarius Ward, Alex Brown and Chris Lammons are the only other cornerbacks besides Fenton that are under contract for Kansas City during the 2020 NFL season. That’s not exactly a lot of experience in the secondary to call upon. Fenton could be the longest-tenured corner on the roster next to Ward if the team doesn’t re-sign their own free agents.

The Chiefs might not have much choice than to allow Fenton to take on a larger role next season. Luckily, he’s proven that he’s up for the challenge of playing in the NFL. If he shows improvement over the course of the 2020 offseason, it’s possible that he could secure a starting role on the outside or as the primary nickel corner.

Chiefs 2019 rookie season reviews:

WR Mecole Hardman (Coming soon)

DB Juan Thornhill (Coming soon)

DT Khalen Saunders (Coming soon)

CB Rashad Fenton (You’re here!)

RB Darwin Thompson

OL Nick Allegretti

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