Arrowhead Pride
The team suffered and overcame many significant injuries to key players throughout the regular season.
Each season has its storylines. Undoubtedly, the main storyline for the Kansas City Chiefs this season was their quest to complete the three-peat, making history as the first team to do so in the Super Bowl era. Completing that task was never going to be easy.
Complicating matters for the Chiefs this season was the barrage of significant injuries the team suffered en route to their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six seasons. Perhaps more than any other season during the Chiefs’ dynasty, the team had to work through major injuries that threatened to derail their postseason hopes.
Before flipping the page to Super Bowl preparations for the Philadelphia Eagles, let’s take a moment to reflect on how the Chiefs overcame the adversity they faced this season.
The preseason couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start for the Chiefs. On the very first play from scrimmage, Brown was injured after a catch and tackle in which he landed directly on his shoulder. The tackle resulted in a sternoclavicular joint dislocation. Initially considered to be a short-term injury similar to the injury to former Chief wide receiver Tyreek Hill, the injury ultimately resulted in Brown missing the majority of the regular season.
He returned in Week 16 after surgery in September to repair and stabilize the dislocated joint. Since returning from injury, he’s provided a notable boost to the offense and a much-needed deep threat for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Brown was targeted seven times in the AFC Championship, and he figures to be a huge piece of the offensive puzzle in the Super Bowl.
Four weeks into the regular season, the Chiefs lost another massive offensive weapon when Rice was injured via friendly fire after an interception thrown by Mahomes. After some speculation and uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of his injury, it was eventually deemed long-term, and he was placed on the Reserve/Injured list. Rice was on track to have a breakout season, as he had emerged as the No. 1 weapon for Mahomes in the early weeks of the season.
The injuries suffered by the top two wide receivers on the depth chart forced Mahomes to work with a patchwork group of receivers for the third consecutive season. It also necessitated the team to bring back wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and trade for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Smith-Schuster was instrumental in the AFC Championship with two 30-plus yard receptions. Both players, along with Brown, are available for the Super Bowl.
The early season attrition continued in Week 2 when running back Isiah Pacheco suffered a broken fibula. Pacheco missed 10 weeks following the injury before returning in late November.
To fill the void left by Pacheco, the team brought back former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. This was a surprising move by the team because of how Hunt’s first...
