Tag: Tershawn Wharton

Andy Reid broke down all Chiefs injuries in August 7 press conference

Andy Reid told reporters about all of the #Chiefs’ injuries during Kansas City’s post-practice press conference on Monday.

The Kansas City Chiefs need all hands on deck for their championship defense campaign in 2023, and with several contributors injured ahead of their preseason kickoff on Sunday, all eyes will be on their inactive list this week.

Andy Reid offered reporters an update on the Chiefs’ injuries after practice on Monday, noting the progression of four key players who are at different parts of their recovery processes.

Said Reid: “As far as injuries go, Jody Fortson, L’Jarius Sneed – and his [injury] is better it’s getting there the inflammation we’re working with, and then KT [Kadarius Toney]. Everyone else practiced it was good to get some of the guys that were banged up a little bit out there. Turk [Tershawn Wharton] continues to progress with reps. A little nine-on-seven, so on teams, good to get him in there.”

Though his comment was ambiguous in regard to Fortson’s status, Reid seemed optimistic that Sneed was progressing well. Toney is expected to be out until the start of the regular season and is one of the great unknowns of Kansas City’s 2023 offense at this juncture.

His mention of Wharton’s development was a positive sign for the Chiefs’ defense, which is still without Chris Jones in their front four for the foreseeable future.

Chiefs DT Tershawn Wharton spoke about his return to the field

Chiefs defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton spoke about returning to the field and his desire to participate in a Super Bowl victory. | from: @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive line looks very different without Chris Jones in training camp. The All-Pro tackle’s holdout continues, and with the first preseason game less than two weeks away, Kansas City’s depth up front will be something to watch moving forward.

A player with more eyes on him in Jones’ absence is defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton who is almost fully recovered from an ACL injury that he sustained in Week 5 last season. The versatile lineman made his return to the field for practice recently with hopes of picking up where he left off in 2022. Wharton opened up to reporters about his recovery and desire to participate in a Super Bowl.

“Just seeing the guys come in and see me on the train and tables, they encouraged me to always like [to] keep my head up. And then I like to attack everything, like a pro,” said Wharton. “So attacking it and just seeing my strides when, you know, as the months come along, and being able to do things that I wasn’t able to do. It always made me continue to keep my head up and smile through the process.”

Wharton’s absence from the Chiefs’ run to Super Bowl LVII run was disappointing for him during the injury recovery, but he made it clear that he is using it as motivation for the coming season.

“I’m ready to go. You know, I’m tired of watching. You know, I kind of feel like a cheerleader right now. But it’s coming. It’s coming,” Wharton explained. “I mean, of course, I’ve made it to the Super Bowl with them my rookie year, and we played, we didn’t get the outcome we wanted. I’m happy for them, of course; I know, the training camp that they went through the season ups and down well, and I mean they worked for it, so watching it,  I want to go get one. I want to go play in it.”

Wharton entered the league as an undrafted free agent after signing with the Chiefs in 2020. He has five career sacks, 64 tackles, and three forced fumbles heading into the 2023 season.

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Top quotes from Chiefs’ August 3 post-practice press conference

Check out some of the top quotes from the #Chiefs’ post practice press conference on August 3:

The Kansas City Chiefs were hard at work on Thursday during their fourth training camp practice of the week and showed serious progression on both sides of the ball during their workouts at Missouri Western State University.  Four Chiefs got in front of the podium for the team’s post-practice press conference, and each gave thorough answers to reporters’ questions about their preparation for the coming season.

Matt Nagy, Blaine Gabbert, Noah Gray, and Tershawn Wharton all spoke to reporters and provided valuable insight into their thoughts on training camp, teammates, and more.

Check out their top quotes below:

Chiefs injury, absence updates from Day 1 of training camp

The #Chiefs held their first full team practice at training camp on Sunday and there were only a few injuries/absences to start the year:

The Kansas City Chiefs finally held their first full training camp practice of the year on Sunday, again gracing the practice fields at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri.

There were two expected absences to start off practice, one injury-related and one contract-related. Tershawn Wharton is on the active/PUP list due to last season’s ACL injury and is not yet ready to return to practice. Chris Jones did not report to training camp with his veteran teammates as he seeks a long-term contract extension. He’ll incur a mandatory fine of $50K for missing practice on Sunday.

With Jones absent from training camp, former Kansas Jayhawk Daniel Wise wound up as the starting defensive tackle opposite Derrick Nnadi according to multiple reports. Wise spent time on the practice squad in Kansas City last season.

Other injuries include rookie OT Wanya Morris, who left practice early to go to the injury tent in Friday’s pre-training camp finale for rookies. After practice, Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave a quick update on Morris, saying that he suffered a minor hamstring injury.

According to several reporters in attendance, Chiefs second-year RB Isiah Pacheco was still wearing the same yellow non-contact jersey that he wore during the past three days of closed practices. He’s out there working during individual drills, but he’s sitting out team drills until he’s ready for some level of contact.

One player who didn’t seem to get much work on the day was WR Kadarius Toney. He caught kicks ahead of practice in special teams drills, but he was held out of teamwork during practice. Reid updated reporters after practice saying that Toney “tweaked” his knee during warm-ups. We’ll see just how long he’s out of practice, but it feels like caution was key here.

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Rookie Keondre Coburn received help learning Chiefs playbook from DT Tershawn Wharton

#Chiefs rookie Keondre Coburn got help learning Kansas City’s playbook from Tershawn Wharton, using one particularly unique method. | from @EdEastonJr

The last day of private workouts for Kansas City Chiefs rookies ended on Friday afternoon at Missouri Western State University. Veterans headed to training camp yesterday evening ready to prepare for the 2023 season, in which they intend to defend their Super Bowl title.

One of the many first-year Chiefs making his way through training camp is defensive tackle Keondre Coburn. The former Texas Longhorns standout told reporters after practice on Friday that he is picking up Steve Spagnuolo’s playbook and schemes with help from his teammate Tershawn Wharton, who he described as a leader for the defensive line unit.

“Turk [Tershawn Wharton] just helped me yesterday with a Quizlet,” Coburn explained regarding his study of Spagnuolo’s system. “He sent it to me. Thank you, sir, for everything that he did for that, he’s a real great leader right now for us, right now.”

Quizlet, a popular app among students, is an online resource that enables users to create virtual flashcards that can help difficult material sink in for intrepid learners.

Coburn continued his comments by making the high expectations that his coaches have for Kansas City’s defense clear, telling the media about the emphasis they place on building crucial cohesion between each of the defensive unit’s levels.

“[Defensive line coach] Joe [Cullen] wants [us] to know the whole defense; to be honest, Spagnuolo wants [us] to know the whole defense. I got called out yesterday in a meeting, and you know, it was a little shaky. But I have to know [those things] because I’m on defense. They expect me to know that, and I expect the [Defensive Backs] to know some of the things I do.”

Spagnuolo’s system has caught on unusually well for young players in the past, and with the help of Wharton’s online resources, Coburn could be the next Chiefs rookie to acclimate to life in the NFL quicker than some might expect.

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Chiefs officially place DT Tershawn Wharton on PUP list to start training camp

The #Chiefs officially moved Tershawn Wharton to the active/PUP list on Wednesday. Our @goldmctNFL breaks down what it means for the fourth-year defensive tackle:

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The Kansas City Chiefs have placed one player on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list at the onset of training camp.

Andy Reid told reporters on Tuesday that fourth-year defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton would start out training camp on the active/PUP list. They made the transaction official on Wednesday ahead of the team’s first training camp practice, which was closed to the public.

Wharton suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season. He was subsequently placed on season-ending injured reserve. He’s still recovering from that injury and is not yet ready to return to practice in full.

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

When a player is placed on the active/PUP list, they still count toward the 90-man offseason roster. They’re permitted to participate in Chiefs’ team meetings, do solo conditioning and work with the team training staff. However, they’re prohibited from practicing with the team so long as they remain on the PUP list. They can be activated at any time during training camp, but things get tricky once we arrive at 53-man roster cuts.

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, they’ll have to wait for four regular-season games to elapse before the team can open their practice window. Once they return to practice, the team will then have a 21-day window to activate the player to the 53-man roster. If said player isn’t activated during that window, the Chiefs will be forced to place them on injured reserve.

The good news here is that Wharton was spotted working on the side with the training staff during practice on Wednesday. He’s making progress in his recovery and could even be activated from the list later on during training camp.

Wharton has appeared in 38 career games with the Chiefs, including two starts since joining the team as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri S&T. He has recorded five sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a pass defended and an interception during that span.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of training camp

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates on Tershawn Wharton and Isiah Pacheco ahead of training camp.

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Kansas City Chiefs rookies, quarterbacks and injured players reported to training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri on Tuesday, July 18.

With the offseason workout program behind us and real football about to begin, Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided some early updates on injured players. He specifically spoke on Tershawn Wharton and Isiah Pacheco, who both had surgery to repair injuries from last season.

“Once the vets get in, and you’ll probably see them out here today, (Tershawn Wharton) will be starting off on PUP,” Reid said. “And then, we’ll just make a decision on (Isiah) Pacheco as we go forward here.”

Wharton, of course, tore his ACL early on last season. Pacheco is recovering from offseason surgery on his shoulder.

We expected both of these players to potentially start off the active/PUP list. Those players still count against the 90-man offseason roster, but they won’t be able to participate in practice until they’re removed from the list. They can still participate in team meetings and do rehab work on the sideline at practice. If they remain on the list during 53-man roster cuts, they can be moved to the reserve/PUP list at the onset of the season, which is a whole different story.

Reid emphasized that besides those two injuries, the team was ready to “get up and go.” That’s a good thing given that players like Trent McDuffie, L’Jarius Sneed, Mike Edwards, Trey Smith and Blake Bell were sitting out of practice last time the team was on the field during mandatory minicamp.

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

Our @goldmctNFL looks at three players who could start #Chiefs training camp on the active Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

When the Kansas City Chiefs rookies, quarterbacks and injured players report to training camp on Tuesday, July 18, players who are unable to clear their physical will be added players to the active/PUP list.

When a player is placed on the active/PUP list, they still count toward the 90-man offseason roster. They’re permitted to participate in Chiefs’ team meetings, do solo conditioning and work with the team training staff. However, they’re prohibited from practicing with the team so long as they remain on the PUP list. They can be activated at any time during training camp, but things get tricky once we arrive at 53-man roster cuts.

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, they’ll have to wait for four regular-season games to elapse before the team can open their practice window. Once they return to practice, the team will then have a 21-day window to activate the player to the 53-man roster. If said player isn’t activated during that window, the Chiefs will be forced to place them on injured reserve.

This year, 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 2023 Chiefs training camp. Here is a quick look at each:

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates on final day of mandatory minicamp

Reid updated reporters on all of the #Chiefs injuries on Thursday, which marked the final day of Kansas City’s mandatory minicamp

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The Kansas City Chiefs are about to embark on their final period of rest ahead of the 2023 season after mandatory minicamp ended on Thursday. Head coach Andy Reid updated reporters after practice with a list of the team’s players who are still licking their wounds ahead of training camp.

Among those injured were three key pieces to the Chiefs’ secondary, Mike Edwards, Trent McDuffie, and L’Jarius Sneed, whose inclusion in the list is sure to be worrisome for fans who know the importance of effective air defense.

Tershawn Wharton was the only other member of the defense mentioned by Reid, with a knee injury that could be concerning if it does not properly heal.

On offense, Kansas City is currently without tight end Blake Bell, running back Isiah Pacheco, and standout guard Trey Smith.

Though these players’ statuses for training camp are unknown, Reid seemed hopeful that they would be able to participate in the Chiefs’ preparations for the 2023 season where they hope to defend their newly won Super Bowl title.

 

Chiefs re-sign restricted free agent DT Tershawn Wharton on one-year deal

The #Chiefs have re-signed restricted free agent DT Tershawn Wharton on a one-year deal, per reports.

The Kansas City Chiefs have retained one of their own according to multiple reports.

Chiefs DT Tershawn Wharton was a restricted free agent this offseason, but instead of tendering a contract offer as the team did with Tommy Townsend, they opted to re-sign him for less than the lowest tender amount. According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, Wharton’s contract is a one-year deal worth up to $2.025 million. He’ll have $850K guaranteed with a $500K signing bonus and can earn $25K in per-game roster bonus along with a $90K workout bonus.

A former undrafted free agent out of Missouri S&T, Wharton enters his fourth season with Kansas City in 2023. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders last year and has been working his way back to health ever since.

In three seasons with the Chiefs, Wharton has appeared in 44 combined regular season and postseason games. He’s recorded 69 total tackles, six sacks, six tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two passes batted and an interception during that span.

With Derrick Nnadi, Khalen Saunders and Brandon Williams slated for unrestricted free agency, bringing Wharton back was an important decision for the team’s continuity and depth on the interior defensive line. A healthy return from Wharton should also allow the team to use Mike Danna more frequently as an edge rusher instead of at 3-tech in 2023.

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