Chiefs OL Lucas Niang Exits Game vs. Bengals With Injury

The Chiefs' offensive tackle had to be carted off in the first quarter against Cincinnati.

In the first quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 17 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, starting offensive tackle Lucas Niang suffered an apparent knee injury and had to exit the game. 

Niang, who got the start at left tackle after Orlando Brown Jr. exited pregame warmups and was subsequently ruled questionable to play, got injured on the Chiefs' second drive of the game. After a few minutes, the medical cart came onto the field and took Niang to the locker room. He was later ruled out with a knee injury.

OL Lucas Niang is out with a knee injury

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 2, 2022

Replacing Niang to begin the game at right tackle was Andrew Wylie, who has a great deal of starts under his belt and has performed at a solid level for the Chiefs this year. Once Niang went down, left guard Joe Thuney shifted out to left tackle and Nick Allegretti — who got starting reps with the team last year and was also passable — took his place as the Chiefs' left guard.

Thuney has experience at tackle and after the Chiefs' complete offseason overhaul of the offensive line, their depth is being tested late in the season. Veteran Kyle Long, who was signed during the offseason but then began the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list, is inactive for Sunday's contest. Kansas City will look to weather the storm while shorthanded as they jockey for playoff positioning in a talented AFC.

SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE: Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, as well as per Chiefs head coach Andy Reid after Sunday's game, Niang suffered a patellar tendon tear. He will miss the remainder of the 2021 season as a result. 

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