The 3 biggest injury storylines after the first week of Chiefs’ training camp

Denny Medley-




While the injury concerns seem minor, some important Kansas City are missing time.

The Kansas City Chiefs enter their 2024 training camp vying for a Super Bowl three-peat with a stronger roster. Most of the team’s players are on the field, preparing for the marathon that the NFL season has become.


There are, however, several players who have not been participating in the team’s practices. For some of them, this was expected. But for others, it was not.


Safety Justin Reid




Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images



When camp opened at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Reid’s injury was a surprise; he had been a full participant in both the voluntary and mandatory parts of the Chiefs’ offseason organized team activities (OTAs).


But as camp began, Reid was added to the team’s Active/NFI (non-football injury) list with what was reported to be a quadriceps injury. While he has been present for practices, he has not yet participated in them; he’s been working with trainers during each session.


We have been given no information about the nature (or circumstances) of the veteran safety’s injury. In St. Joseph, Reid has been seen wearing a sleeve on his right leg. These are worn to aid with inflammation and reduce pain.


It’s not yet time to panic — but whether it is a strain or a contusion, a soft tissue quadriceps injury could linger. And if the player returns to play too quickly, this kind of injury can easily be aggravated.


If we take Reid’s word for it, he should be back in the lineup soon.




Minor setbacks breed major comebacks! I will get myself healthy soon, can’t wait to get back out on the field — Justin Reid (@JustinqReid) July 21, 2024






But this situation might be similar to what we saw with former Kansas City cornerback L’Jarius Sneed last summer. He sat out most of training camp (and all of the preseason) with a knee injury before being activated for the regular season. For most of the year, Sneed was listed on the weekly injury reports — but he still had a great season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Reid nursing his injury into the beginning of the 2024 season.


Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson




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Johnson was one of the major storylines of last season’s training camp, getting reps as the first-team nickel cornerback before tearing his ACL in late July. As the 2024 camp began, he seemed to be picking up where he left off.


But on Wednesday, he left practice after injuring his right knee. He was back to work on Friday — and then on Saturday, he left practice with what the team said was a hamstring injury. He was present on Sunday, but did not participate in practice.


Head coach Andy Reid confirmed on Sunday that Johnson’s injury is to the same knee which was surgically repaired last year. Reid called the injury a “tweak,” and noted “it’s a little bit more of the hamstring than the knee.”


Even though he was cleared to return to play, Johnson was still working with the athletic training staff to strengthen and stabilize his previously-injured knee — as is typical with ACL repairs.


“He’s strong and that leg is strong,” said Reid. “His knee is solid and all that. So he’ll be fine.”


Hamstring injuries are very common in training camp and the preseason as players are getting back up to playing speed and back into football shape. It is not entirely surprising for Johnson to have this setback on his surgically repaired knee only a year out of surgery. But if this injury lingers far into camp — causing Johnson to miss extended practice time — this could still become a concern.


Given Sneed’s departure — and cornerback Jaylen Watson’s labrum injury that put him on the team’s Active/PUP (physically unable to perform) list — Johnson’s situation is one to monitor; the team is depending on him to step into a bigger role.


Left guard Joe Thuney




Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images



There’s been a lot of talk about wide receivers Xavier Worthy (strep throat) and Justin Watson (foot) missing time during the first week of training camp. But the quieter offensive storyline has been Thuney missing practice time with a pectoral injury.


Thuney suffered this injury during January’s Divisional round playoff game, forcing him to miss the AFC championship and the Super Bowl.


Given that the injury was classified as a strain and not a tear — and there have been no reports Thuney had surgery for it — he should be close to being ready to return to live reps. Still, considering it has been more than six months since the injury, it’s concerning that Thuney — long considered an NFL Iron Man — is missing reps.


At this stage of his career, Thuney doesn’t need every single rep. But with the departure of Donovan Smith, he will be paired next to a new left tackle this season — and building cohesiveness on the offensive line is crucial for the offense.


The bottom line




The Chiefs have been fortunate that no players have suffered major injuries during the first week of training camp. While the team hasn’t provided many specific details about the other injuries we’ve seen, they don’t seem to be long-term concerns.


Just the same, these will be the storylines to monitor through the rest of training camp.


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