Chiefs News: Injury Updates on Chris Jones, Jawaan Taylor, D.J. Humphries for Week 17

Ahead of Wednesday's Christmas outing against the Steelers, the Chiefs have some fresh injury news on Chris Jones, Jawaan Taylor, D.J. Humphries and others.

Nov 24, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

When they take the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, the Kansas City Chiefs will be wrapping up their grueling stretch of three games in an 11-day period. It's something that was bound to be a challenge for any NFL team, let alone one that's dealt with as many injuries as the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.

Unfortunately for Andy Reid's squad, they came into Saturday's contest versus the Houston Texans already nursing some injuries and acquired more during the win. Given such a quick turnaround before another game, that cast plenty of doubt on whether key players would be available this week.

What's the state of the union regarding Kansas City's health? Head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media on Monday and provided some fresh updates on where things stand.

Will Chris Jones play on Christmas Day vs. Steelers?

Late in the Chiefs' Saturday outing against Houston, star defensive tackle Chris Jones exited with a calf injury. The All-Pro man ended up playing 44 of 59 available snaps, sitting out for the rest of what was an eight-point victory. Immediately after the game, Reid said it was "probably too early to tell" whether Jones would be available on Wednesday. After Sunday reports alluded to a grade 1 calf strain and he was listed as a non-participant in Sunday's estimated injury report, that added even more uncertainty.

Reid discussed the latest with Jones, as well as everyone else, with his opening comments on Monday.

"The guys who won't practice today are (Chamarri) Conner, (D.J.) Humphries and Chris Jones," Reid said. "All making improvements but, again, quick turnaround here so we'll just keep evaluating them throughout here."

With Jones set to miss the only real practice Kansas City has this week, his odds of playing on Wednesday don't seem to be increasing one bit. Without him, the team would rely on Tershawn Wharton and supporting defensive tackle pieces like Mike Pennel and Derrick Nnadi. Charles Omenihu getting interior reps may also be on the table if Jones doesn't play.

An updated outlook on the Chiefs' offensive tackle situation

The Chiefs came into Week 16 already without left tackle D.J. Humphries, who was making progress but still didn't practice last week due to a nagging hamstring injury. There was some optimism that the November signing could potentially play on Wednesday, yet he was also listed as a non-participant in the first practice report of the week.

Is Humphries back on track, or could this be another Joe Thuney game on the left side of the line? Reid wouldn't fully commit to a Thuney and Mike Caliendo left-side configuration just yet, even with Humphries being held out of practice again.

"Yeah, I'm going to just see how we finish up today and then, Nate (Taylor), just take it day-by-day," Reid said. "We've got a couple days. We'll see how it all rolls."

Elsewhere, right tackle Jawaan Taylor suffered what Reid described as a knee strain on Saturday. He was listed as "limited" in the estimated Sunday practice report. Him being an expected participant in Monday's practice is good news for both him and the team.

Second-year man Wanya Morris played 20 snaps in relief of Taylor in Week 16, looking more comfortable than he has all season. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy praised the former third-round pick over the weekend.

"He's done a good job with that," Nagy said. "It's important that these guys, as they go through the ebbs and flows of the season game-by-game, they stay locked in and they stay focused. I think most importantly, more than anything, they understand that we always are supporting them. We need to be coaching them and still be tough on them, but also have that 'one play away' mentality, and you saw that yesterday. Wanya has done that this whole time. He came in and played well. He just needs to keep growing, and he will. He's young, and I think we all just need to keep that perspective. I like where he's at right now. We've just got to continue to stay true to what he's doing well and continue to teach him what he's not doing great, and we can keep working at that."

Chamarri Conner still working his way back from concussion

It looks like with Conner missing yet another practice, the Chiefs could be without their second-year safety for the second game in a row. Conner, who has played over 500 snaps on defense this season, is still attempting to pass through NFL concussion protocol following a Week 15 injury.

Should Conner sit out on Wednesday, it's reasonable to expect rookie Christian Roland-Wallace to once again get the nod at the nickel spot. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo recently praised him for his Week 16 performance.

"I thought he did a great job," Spagnuolo said. "He's been one of those guys that I've been really hopeful for all season long. The more reps he gets, the better he gets. He's a really smart, intelligent football player with some instincts. He's played special teams for Dave (Toub). I'm happy for him. He'll probably tell you that he made one key mistake that we could fix because that's all he could think about at the end of the game. I told him, 'Look, think about the other good plays that you made because you played 30-something plays for us.' I thought he did a solid job going in there and filling in for Chamarri."

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