Chiefs’ DE Charles Omenihu to Miss Super Bowl After Tearing ACL in AFC Championship

A big loss for Kansas City’s defense ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the past five years, but they’ll be without a key member of their defense for the rematch against the San Francisco 49ers.

Standout defensive end Charles Omenihu suffered a torn ACL during the Chiefs’ AFC championship win over the Baltimore Ravens which will cause him to miss Super Bowl LVIII, according to NFL.com. 

Omenihu, who is in his first season in Kansas City, exited the game against the Ravens in the first half after recording a strip sack of Lamar Jackson. He had logged just six snaps in the game before being removed due to the knee injury.

Omenihu appeared to confirm the news on social media on Monday, posting a broken heart emoji on X. 

💔

— Charles Omenihu (@charless_94) January 29, 2024

It would’ve been a matchup against his former team for Omenihu, who spent the previous two seasons with the 49ers. 

He enjoyed a career year in 2023, registering seven sacks, two forced fumbles and 28 tackles, all of which tied or exceeded his previous career highs.

The injury to Omenihu isn’t the only one impacting Kansas City’s defense ahead of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Veteran linebacker Willie Gay missed the AFC championship with a neck injury, while defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi was placed on IR with a triceps injury.