Chris Klieman shares injury update on K-State defensive end Bronson Massie
Chris Klieman began his weekly news conference on Tuesday by saying this is a good time for the Kansas State football team to have an off week.
The Wildcats are dealing with injuries at multiple positions, and not playing again until Oct. 16 when the Wildcats host Iowa State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium will give several of those ailing players an opportunity to heal.
Bronson Massie is one player who K-State is hoping to get back sooner rather than later. The senior defensive end was unable to finish K-State’s game against Oklahoma last week with an injury, but his recovery timetable is not long. There’s a chance he could return against the Cyclones if his rehab goes perfectly.
“He’s out for a while, I don’t know if that’s two weeks or if that’s four weeks,” Klieman said. “I would say (four) would be the max it would be. So two weeks as an outside shot at Iowa State. Four weeks, he would obviously miss a few games. It’s an upper-body injury that we feel like he’s going to recover from, it’s just a matter of is it going to take two to four weeks? Can he do enough rehab to get himself potentially ready for Iowa State? He might be able to.”
That would be welcome news for the Wildcats if Massie doesn’t miss any future games. Massie has made five tackles this season, including 1 1/2 for loss.
With fellow defensive end Khalid Duke already out for the season with a knee injury, K-State is running low on proven pass-rushers.
If Massie needs three weeks to recover, he will return to action against Texas Tech on Oct. 23. A full four weeks of recovery would mean he returns against TCU on Oct. 30.
Klieman said the Wildcats are also hoping to allow some other veteran players who have been dealing with injuries rest this week while the coaching staff evaluates younger players.
Tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe and defensive back Reggie Stubblefield both missed K-State’s game against Oklahoma State and then played on a limited basis against Oklahoma. Klieman is hopeful they will both be closer to full strength for Iowa State.
Malik Knowles has also been dealing with some minor ailments, Klieman said.
Skylar Thompson will also get an opportunity to build up strength in his injured right knee after making his return against Oklahoma. The senior quarterback didn’t attempt a single rush in that game, opting instead to attempt a career-high 41 passes while playing with a knee brace.
Perhaps he will be more mobile in two weeks.
“These kids need some rest,” Klieman said. “They need to get their bodies right, because once we come back we’ve got a bunch of games in a row without an open week. So we’ve got to get their mind refreshed. We have got to get their bodies fresh ... This comes at a good time for us.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Chris Klieman shares injury update on K-State defensive end Bronson Massie."