Injuries — Watt, Kelce, Mercilus, Conley — pile up from Chiefs-Texans game

The injury tone was set on the opening kickoff of the Chiefs’ 42-34 victory over the Texans on Sunday, when Chiefs safety Steven Terrell was kicked in the head by a Houston player and knocked out.

Near the game’s end, Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley left the game because of a non-contact Achilles tendon injury and was on crutches in the locker room.

Also in the locker room in sweats before the end of the game was tight end Travis Kelce, who took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Marcus Gilchrist, who was penalized for unnecessary roughness.

The Texans’ injuries were devastating. The season ended for perennial All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt, who suffered a tibial plateau fracture that will require surgery. He left the field in a cart and was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

Before the Watt injury, linebacker Whitney Mercilus left the game because of a chest injury.

Next man up was the postgame mantra from both locker rooms, but it sounds like a broken record, especially for the Chiefs, who now have lost a starter or regular for an extended period in each game.

It started with safety Eric Berry in the opener, and along the way the Chiefs have lost center Mitch Morse, kicker Cairo Santos, offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and now, apparently, Conley for an extended period.

The Achilles injury has bitten the Chiefs seemingly more than many teams. Linebacker Derrick Johnson has suffered two in the last four years. Berry’s injury is a ruptured Achilles.

“Throughout the league, you’re even seeing them at the college level, which is kind of unique,” coach Andy Reid said. “I don’t remember this being (like) that. At one point a few years ago, you could kinda look at the shoes, but the shoe companies, I think, have done a pretty good job of putting these things together. So I don’t know exactly why. But it does seem there are a few of these.”

Kelce, who caught eight passes for 98 yards, all in the first half, has entered the concussion protocol.

“Getting injured, man, this game, that what comes with this game and it sucks,” Johnson said. “But it’s one of those things where you have to put faith in the man above, keep working, don’t get distracted and get back as soon as you can.”

The season-ending injury to Watt is a crusher for the Texans, and Houston coach Bill O’Brien said he’s concerned about Mercilus.

“That’s tough,” O’Brien said. “But at the end of the day it’s not an excuse.”

This story was originally published October 9, 2017 at 1:12 AM with the headline "Injuries — Watt, Kelce, Mercilus, Conley — pile up from Chiefs-Texans game."