Chiefs vs. Saints Injury Report: KC Loses Another Receiver, Add Tight End to Active Roster

The Chiefs' wide receiver group continues to thin out ahead of KC's Monday Night Football showdown against the New Orleans Saints. Plus, the latest on Kareem Hunt's status.

Sep 15, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (17) returns a kick against the Cincinnati Bengals during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have already placed their top two wide receivers, Rashee Rice and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, on injured reserve early in the 2024 NFL season. During this week of practice ahead of a Monday Night Football showdown with the New Orleans Saints, another wide receiver has landed on the injury report, putting his status in doubt for Monday night's game.

Mecole Hardman was limited on Thursday and did not practice on Friday due to a knee injury, according to the team.

During the Chiefs' press conferences on Friday, special teams coordinator Dave Toub was asked who could take on Hardman's special teams duties if he's sidelined against the Saints.

"We have a number of guys that can do it, obviously," Toub said. "Nikko [Remigio] can do it, [Montrell] Washington can do it. Any of those two guys can possibly pop up if Mecole was down. Obviously, we have other guys in the mix. I mean, [Xavier] Worthy can be a punt returner, Skyy Moore, we have a lot of guys, we have a lot of options there."

Remigio or Washington would have to "pop up" from the practice squad, which already seemed plausible as the Chiefs currently have only five receivers on the 53-man roster, including Hardman. Remigio became a favorite of fans and coaches alike during this summer's training camp. Depending on what the Chiefs value on the active roster, as Justyn Ross also waits on the practice squad, Remigio could be a useful elevation both as a dynamic returner and a plausible offensive depth piece.

Kareem Hunt, Mike Danna status updates

On Thursday, running back Kareem Hunt (shoulder) and defensive end Mike Danna (calf) were both limited in practice, meaning that they took some reps but less than a typical full workload. The duo shared the same designation again on Friday, both officially "limited."

Hunt, who played in his first regular season game of 2024 after not participating in training camp or the preseason, could simply be getting a bit of extra rest before another game of heavy usage against New Orleans. Danna, who missed Week 4, should be considered a toss-up for Week 5. With the Chiefs' bye week coming in Week 6, one more game on the sidelines would give Danna an extra week of recovery before the Chiefs take the field again in San Francisco on October 20.

Jody Fortson added to active roster

Tight end Jody Fortson, who returned to the Chiefs' practice squad on September 26 after an offseason stint with the Miami Dolphins, has been signed to KC's active roster. In a corresponding move, cornerback Darius Rush has been signed to the practice squad to take Forton's place.

With KC's depleted wide receiver room, they'll now carry four tight ends on the active roster: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, rookie Jared Wiley, and Fortson.

Chiefs wide receivers running through the American Gladiators gauntlet at practice.

Jody Fortson has also been elevated to the active roster. That leaves the Chiefs with one spot on the 53-player roster. That’s still presumably reserved for Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) October 4, 2024

Read More: Rashee Rice's Next Steps: NFL Insiders Report Latest Plan for Knee Injury Diagnosis