Aug 17, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Jared Wiley (12) warms up against the Detroit Lions prior to the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
The Kansas City Chiefs have suffered a long list of injuries in the first half of the 2024 season, and a new mid-week injury has delivered another blow to the Chiefs' offensive weaponry.
Rookie tight end Jared Wiley was listed as a limited participant in Friday's practice due to a knee injury that had not been previously designated, providing cause for concern that the 24-year-old fourth-round pick had suffered an injury at practice. On Saturday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed that Wiley suffered a season-ending ACL tear during Friday's practice.
"Jared Wiley, at practice, tore his ACL," Reid said. "Non-contact, it's one of those freak things. So, he'll go through that whole process. [Practice squad tight end Peyton] Hendershot will be brought up and he'll work in there. He's been taking reps and he's played before, so he'll be OK."
The rookie's injury comes just days after tight end Jody Fortson suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Las Vegas Raiders. Now, the Chiefs' two healthy active-roster tight ends are Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, with Hendershot on the practice squad. The Chiefs traded for Hendershot from the Dallas Cowboys for a conditional seventh-round pick just before the NFL's roster cutdown deadline and waived him less than a month later. Then, KC was able to bring Hendershot back on the practice squad where he's been since. Without Wiley and Fortson, Hendershot will be promoted for Monday night's game and could be signed to the active roster as KC's new No. 3 tight end.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster did not practice on Saturday, completing his second consecutive week without seeing the practice field, leaving him sidelined for the second-consecutive game. Reid officially ruled Smith-Schuster out for Monday's game against the Buccaneers.
After being limited on Thursday and Friday, defensive end Mike Danna (pectoral) did not receive an official game day status from Reid but was officially ruled out shortly after in the team's official injury report. This will be the third-straight game Danna has missed due to his pectoral injury.
Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson (concussion), who would have likely started if healthy on Monday, was also ruled out shortly following Reid's press conference. Johnson did not practice on Thursday but was limited on Friday. Reid said Johnson was a limited participant on Saturday, originally leaving his status up in the air for Monday night.
"He was a partial today, so we'll just see where it goes from there," Reid said.