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In the final game of the year for one of these teams, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs both released their final injury report before the AFC Championship Game. And with such high stakes riding on this game, neither team has many injury designations keeping them off the field.
Starting with the away team, the Bills.
The only active player who didn’t practice on Friday was cornerback Christian Benford, whose game status is questionable with a concussion along with personal reasons, as documented on the Bills’ injury report. Benford was a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday, though he stepped backward with a DNP on Friday.
Along with Benford, the Bills have already ruled out safety Taylor Rapp, who’s been dealing with a back/hip injury. As a crucial member of the defense against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round — a game in which he didn’t finish — the Bills could miss Rapp on the field against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
The third and final player on the Bills’ final injury report is linebacker Baylon Spector, who’s already on the team’s IR.
Bills injury report for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game: pic.twitter.com/3AHNYwYSnM
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2025
Now, for the home team, the Chiefs.
Entering the week, Kansas City had zero players with any injury designation that kept them out of practice. The only four players on the Chiefs’ injury report were: Mike Caliendo (shoulder), Patrick Mahomes (ankle), Jawaan Taylor (knee), and Jaylen Watson (ankle).
However, none of the injuries for the Chiefs appeared too major, as all four players were full participants in practice all week, per Matt McMullen on X.
Here's the final injury report for the Chiefs and Bills. pic.twitter.com/7sEVSJfsfj
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) January 24, 2025
With this being a conference championship, there are fewer reasons to want to sit out. It’s not that NFL players like missing games, but being inactive in Week 7 of the regular season is a lot different than being held out of the game to potentially send Kansas City to the Super Bowl.
When they’ve faced off in the playoffs, Josh Allen and the Bills are 0-3 against Mahomes and the Chiefs, making this a lopsided postseason rivalry.
However, as the Bills look to claim their first win against Mahomes in the playoffs, both teams will be nearly full-strength, making this nearly as even of a battle as possible.
The post NFL news: Bills, Chiefs release final injury reports before AFC title game appeared first on ClutchPoints.
