Check out this video of #Chiefs DL Charles Omenihu working out as he recovers from a serious knee injury.
The Kansas City Chiefs will rely on their defense in 2024 in their effort to make NFL history by winning a third consecutive Super Bowl championship.
While the unit’s strength is expected to lie in its secondary, Kansas City’s defensive line showed flashes of dominance last year, especially before Charles Omenihu’s season-ending knee injury in the AFC Championship Game.
Though he wasn’t on the field for Super Bowl LVIII, Omenihu was a key part of the Chiefs’ success in 2023. He seems primed for a triumphant return to action next season after he posted an encouraging update about his recovery on social media this week.
Surgery knee btw. 3 months post OP. They said I wouldnt be the same. Keep doubting. Vengeance OTW. pic.twitter.com/lAGNFKU2m1
Though this heartening update is far from a guarantee that Omenihu will be ready to suit up for Kansas City’s season opener, it is a good indication that his rehab is progressing well and may prove to be a sign that he will be healthier sooner than some may think.
Chase Young is on track in his surgery rehab and participating at walkthroughs. The Saints are betting big on him making an impact in 2024:
The New Orleans Saints are betting big on Chase Young. The former Ohio State Buckeye and No. 2 pick in the NFL draft signed a unique one-year deal with the Saints in free agency, and they’re putting a lot of hopes on him livening up their pass rush — once he’s cleared for a full workload after undergoing neck surgery earlier this offseason.
Young’s injury was not news to the Saints, who constructed his deal to where they’ll essentially get a refund on the 2025 salary cap for any games he misses in 2024. Just in case. But they’re hoping he’ll be back in action early this season, and with organized team activities kicking off this week he’s progressing right where they expected him to be. Head coach Dennis Allen shared an update on Young’s health at the Saints Hall of Fame golf tournament on Monday.
“Things are going well right now,” Allen said. “Look, I don’t expect to see him out there on the practice field, working any time soon, he’s been able to participate in some of the walkthrough stuff that we’ve had. I think that’ll be the mode he’ll be in the majority of this time of the year. And then we’ll see where we’re at when training camp rolls around.”
That lines up with the treatment and recovery plan the Saints outlined early on. The expectation is for Young to miss part of training camp while healing up and regaining his strength, and to have had a few weeks of practice behind him before putting on shoulder pads for Week 1’s game with the Carolina Panthers. If he can beat that timeline, even better. If he takes longer, well. That’s why his contract is structured the way it is. For his part, Young is eager to get back on the field and learn from veteran teammates like Cameron Jordan.
Have a day, Paulson Adebo. The New Orleans Saints cornerback continued his strong day against the Chicago Bears by forcing a fumble out of wide receiver DJ Moore with a well-timed punch — but he wasn’t done yet. Adebo fell on the loose ball for a recovery, his second takeaway of the game.
Plenty of defenders force fumbles. Many of them come away with recoveries, too. But it’s not too often you’ll see a player recover his own fumble. Adebo deserves a lot of credit for his hustle and situational awareness on a heads-up play. He’s quickly becoming a reliable playmaker in the Saints secondary.
Trent McDuffie punched a ball out to give the #Chiefs a chance to take the lead late in the second quarter against the #Lions.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense allowed the Detroit Lions to get out to a seven-point lead early in Week 1 but managed to force a turnover midway through the second quarter to give Patrick Mahomes a chance to put his team ahead.
Second-year cornerback Trent McDuffie made the play to cause Lions receiver Marvin Jones Jr. to fumble. Kansas City took possession around the 10 yard line and took the field on offense with the intent to go up by a score before halftime.
Plays like this will be necessary for the Chiefs to win this game, and even without Chris Jones on the field, Kansas City’s defenders are playing with an edge. The addition of Jones later in the Chiefs’ 2023 campaign could help the team force more turnovers like this one, but for now, Kansas City will be happy to take what it can get.
Expect more feisty play from the Chiefs defense as this game continues, and watch for McDuffie to stay locked in all the way through the fourth quarter.
#Chiefs tight end Blake Bell says he’s “ready to roll” following his injury shortened 2022 season. | from: @EdEastonJr
Memories of preseason openers may not sit well for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Blake Bell who suffered a severe hip flexor injury in last year’s game. The veteran went down in pain during the game against the Chicago Bears, forcing him to injured reserve after undergoing surgery.
Bell spoke with reporters on Tuesday following practice about his injury recovery and bouncing back this year.
“I’m feeling good, I really am,” Bell said. “You know just trying to get back this offseason and trying to stretch to keep my body loose a little bit. I’m feeling good. [It was] such a freak injury and the doctors did a great job last year getting me fixed up. The trainers did a great job, too, as well so I’m feeling great ready to roll.”
The injury cost Bell all but three regular season games in 2022 as he revealed his frustration and doubt during the recovery process.
“It was hard,” Bell explained. “But you know, that was my goal each and every day is trying to get better and try to stay focused because some of those days you come in, and you’re like, ‘man, what am I doing?’ I’m not playing, but that’s how those injuries work. Man, you just got to keep your head down and keep fighting and work to get back on the field.”
Bell still scored a touchdown in Week 17 against the Denver Broncos, one of his two catches on the season. The veteran isn’t typically seen as a receiving option but provides solid blocking and discipline needed at the position.
Some golfers are known to incorporate mindfulness, meditation and religious practices into their routine.
It’s no secret that travel takes a toll on the body. If you add a week of walking, four days of tournament play, practice rounds, driving range time and workouts for weeks on end, the mind and body will have to work overtime to recover.
For example, Jon Rahm forces himself to exercise after a long plane ride.
“If you have time and [access to] a gym or whatever it may be, get a little bit of exercise in,” Rahm said. “It doesn’t need to be crazy. It could be 30, 40 minutes of just some kind of stretching or whatever to get the blood
flowing a little bit more so your body can just naturally recover and get things moving.”
The physical demands of golf tournaments are extensive. This includes long days often jam-packed with physical activity. With the long weeks of back-to-back travel, some golfers simply can’t maintain a true routine of non-negotiables such as managing nutrition and lifting in the gym.
Golfers have to adapt to various time changes, societal norms, diets and cultures in different states and countries. For example, a United States-based golfer will likely often fly to Europe, which can present as much as a nine-hour time difference. Let’s say that particular country does not prioritize breakfast or it’s harder to get their hands on common U.S. essentials, their body only has a couple of days to adapt to these changes.
Jon Rahm plays his shot on the first hole fairway during the first round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Professional golfers employ numerous strategies to recover physically and mentally while on the road.
They may engage in specific exercises or work with a trainer to ensure they maintain strength and flexibility. Adequate sleep, hydration and rest are all a huge priority to ensure physical and mental cognition.
Yes, they get to travel to some amazing destinations, but many spend the majority of their time in their room to recharge before and after their rounds.
And some golfers at various levels even have part-time jobs to pay for golf tournaments and expenses. It is a constant grind on and off the course for them.
To address mental and emotional recovery, some golfers are known to incorporate mindfulness, meditation and religious practices into their routine to manage stress and stay focused.
Golfers may also seek the support of sports psychologists or engage in activities that help them relax and unwind.
Additionally, collegiate golfers are managing just as much as the professional level, but their life includes college classes on the road.
Playing a round of golf is at least four hours of mental and physical strain plus the warm-up and post-round practice. Many collegiate tournaments have 36-hole days, equating to nine-plus hours of golf in a day. Having to complete essays, math and other tasks is nearly impossible on the day of a tournament.
Golf has many layers that go into the preparation and performance of the sport, but managing it properly can be the ticket to success for many.
To win at Royal Liverpool, golfers need to have their bodies primed for competition, and that starts with recovery.
Driving from Los Angeles Country Club in California to TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, covers 3,055 miles and would, according to Google Maps, take you about 58 hours to complete by car.
Needless to say, after Rory McIlroy lost the U.S. Open by one shot to Wyndham Clark, emptied his locker and packed his bags on Sunday, he was not hitting the road and driving to the following week’s Travelers Championship. McIlroy stayed in Los Angeles that night, had a few glasses of red wine with dinner and headed to bed before flying east on Monday morning. However, the four-time major winner went home to Florida instead of Connecticut to see his family, get some rest and recover.
“I try to get into the time zone where I’m going as quickly as possible,” McIlroy said Wednesday evening at TPC River Highlands. “I didn’t do a good job of that on Monday night because I started watching TV, and all of a sudden it was midnight [in Florida] and it was 9 p.m. back there and I didn’t feel tired.”
Many of the game’s best players have descended upon Royal Liverpool Golf Club after flying across Asia, Africa, and Europe. They have come from Australia, South America and North America too, and must recover quickly to be at their best on Thursday and contend for the Claret Jug.
New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis shared an update on wide receiver Michael Thomas during an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Tuesday, setting the first real timetable we’ve seen for the former All-Pro’s return from season-ending surgery last year.
“I think (Thomas) is coming along, and I think he would tell you that things are going well, and we’re excited and optimistic about where he’s going to be when we begin training camp,” Loomis told hosts Bill Polian and Solomon Wilcots.
Loomis acknowledged the frustrations with a series of lower-leg injuries for Thomas, saying that he “has missed the better part of the last two years, and we’re counting on him to get healthy and to get back to his form.”
These extended absences have worn fans’ patience thin, and Thomas missing more time during organized team activities and minicamp practices is not going to met with much positivity. But it’s part of the process in getting him back to full strength. If him not being available for May and June means that Thomas will be full-go by September and October, it will have been worth it.
What’s the latest on Michael Thomas? The New Orleans Saints’ former superstar wide receiver has lost years of the prime of his career to injuries, gutting through a complicated ankle issue that slowed him down in 2020 and sidelined him for the entire 2021 season before a broken bone in his other foot cut his 2022 campaign short.
But the Saints are optimistic that Thomas can return to form. General manager Mickey Loomis said as much Monday morning at the Saints Hall of Fame golf tournament, “Absolutely he can be. Just need to get him healthy, and he’s worked so hard at that over the last two or three years. The results haven’t been as good as we have all hoped, but it’s not because of a lack of effort or desire by him, that’s for sure.”
So when will he be back on the field? The Saints are taking it easy with several players managing health issues this offseason, including rookie running back Kendre Miller (coming off a knee injury) and tight end Foster Moreau (recovering from cancer treatment), and they aren’t going to rush Thomas into action before he’s physically ready.
Loomis echoed comments that head coach Dennis Allen made last week in the wake of news that Thomas recently had some surgical “hardware” removed from his foot, saying that the Saints expect Thomas to be ready to go for training camp in July: “Yeah I think everything’s (going) according to plan so far, and I feel very positive about it.”
At least they have a better backup plan this year in case Thomas does miss more time. They signed a veteran contested-catch receiver who’s used to working with Derek Carr in Bryan Edwards. They drafted a highly-regarded rookie who played a similar role in A.T. Perry. Another first-year pro, undrafted free agent Shaquan Davis, also has impressive potential. Signing former Pittsburgh Steelers standout James Washington would add another layer of depth, but we’ll have to wait and see whether a deal materializes.
Hopefully Thomas will continue to progress as expected and return to full participation in training camp and beyond. But if there’s another hurdle or challenge ahead, the Saints won’t be caught unprepared.
Michael Thomas hasn’t yet been cleared after November toe surgery (for what it’s worth, he has a deadline to pass a team physical coming up on April 21) but he’s hard at work training for the upcoming season. The New Orleans Saints wide receiver shared a video on social media of his work in the weight room, deadlifting an impressive 530 pounds with surprising ease.
But no one was more surprised than Thomas from what came next. He shared a message from an NFL representative asking to arrange a meeting for sample collection as part of the NFL’s performance enhancing substances testing policy. These are random tests, but the timing couldn’t be more suspect. Hopefully Thomas clears it and returns to work while preparing for a pivotal 2023 season.
Thomas has missed a lot of time recovering from ankle and toe injuries over the last three years, but he played a big part in recruiting free agent quarterback Derek Carr this offseason and hopes to reestablish himself as one of the league’s best receivers now that he has a proven passer to work with. We’ll see how it all shakes out over the summer.
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