With Super Bowl LVII coming up this Sunday, Kansas City’s latest injury news could have a major impact on your NFL picks.
Don’t forget to check out the Missouri and Pennsylvania betting sites to find the best book to bet with for Super Bowl LVII.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, February 12, 2023 – 06:30 PM EST at State Farm Stadium
If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything. Kansas City was about as healthy as could be heading into Super Bowl LVII, where they beat the Cincinnati Bengals to win their first title in 50 years. That is definitely not the case as they prepare to face the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday.
The Eagles don’t have too much to worry about on the injury front, especially after two relatively easy wins over the Niners and the New York Giants where they carried big leads into the fourth quarter. That’s one of the reasons Philly is favored by 1.5 points on the NFL odds board at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review) as we go to press.
That means it’s up to Kansas City to get as healthy as possible if they want to stay competitive this Sunday. And the latest news from the sick bay is mixed, to say the least.
Mecole Hardman: Out
In our previous Super Bowl injury update, we mentioned that Kansas City WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) was one of four wideouts who were less than 100% for the Big Game. Hardman was eventually listed as doubtful and is now officially out for Super Bowl LVII after getting placed on injured reserve Monday.
This sucks for both Hardman and Kansas City, but it’s nothing new. Hardman only played eight games during the regular season because of various injuries, and his brief appearance in the AFC Championship Game was his only action in these playoffs.
K.C. might be in better shape to handle Hardman’s absence than they were three years ago. True, they still had stud No. 1 wideout Tyreek Hill back then, but after Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason, Kansas City “replaced” him in a piecemeal fashion by acquiring both JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Speaking of whom...
JuJu Smith-Schuster: Questionable
Officially at this point, Smith-Schuster (knee) is considered 50/50 to suit up for the Big Game, but in reality, he’s expected to play – as is WR/PR Kadarius Toney (ankle), who’s also listed as questionable. Both men have yet to return to the practice field.
Smith-Schuster was the top wideout for Kansas City during the regular season, racking up 78 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns. TE Travis Kelce (110 catches, 12 TDs) is still the leading target for QB Patrick Mahomes, but everyone’s job is a lot easier when there are multiple threats on the field.
For the sake of completeness, we should mention that WR/PR Justin Watson (illness) should be ready for Super Bowl LVII after putting in a full practice last Wednesday. Watson only made 15 catches in five starts for Kansas City, but he’ll provide another warm body for Mahomes to throw at.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire: In
This might not end up mattering all that much given how well RB/KR Isiah Pacheco has played this year, but Edwards-Helaire (4.3 yards per carry) came off injured reserve Monday and will presumably be in uniform for Super Bowl Sunday. Edwards-Helaire hasn’t played since he suffered an ankle injury in Week 11.
In his absence, Kansas City found a happy medium with Pacheco (4.9 yards per carry) as their lead back and Jerick McKinnon (56 catches, nine TDs) catching balls in the flat. Edwards-Helaire had already lost his starting job in Week 7, having logged double-digit carries just once up to that point.
Football is a punishing sport, though, and K.C. fans can breathe a bit more easily knowing they have a redundancy plan in the backfield – especially with both Pacheco (wrist) and McKinnon (both ankles) playing through pain.
L’Jarius Sneed: Questionable
Finally, we have the one defensive player on Kansas City’s injured list. Sneed suffered a concussion during the AFC title game against Cincinnati and is still in protocol as we go to press, which means the starting RC has yet to practice for Super Bowl LVII.
The good news is that Sneed has resumed conditioning work for Kansas City, so there’s a decent chance he’ll reach the benchmarks he needs to clear protocol in time for the Big Game.
As with Pacheco, Kansas City has gotten quality results in the secondary from rookies like Trent McDuffie, their first-round pick at No. 21 in the 2022 NFL Draft. But Sneed is one of the few veterans on this team. His presence would mean a lot at the most crucial point of the season.
We’ll give you further Super Bowl injury updates just before kick-off if there are any of note; otherwise, stay tuned for more award-disintegrating analysis and coverage here at Bookmakers Review as we get closer to crowning a new champion.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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