Chiefs’ players with torn Achilles’ among 14 NFL players with same injury this year

The Chiefs have endured their fair share of injuries in the opening month of the NFL season, but the influx of one particular affliction has puzzled the players and coaching staff alike — a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

Running back Joe McKnight on Thursday was the latest to suffer a torn Achilles’, the same injury that ended the seasons of linebacker Derrick Johnson and defensive end Mike DeVito.

Johnson and DeVito are among 14 players in the NFL who have landed on injured reserve this season because of the same injury.

“The (Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society), they’re on top of that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “They’re hitting that thing hard. There are like 14 of these things in the NFL right now … It’s out there. People are examining it to try to figure it out. That’s how that works.”

A perhaps even more unusual ailment ended the season of of defensive end Mike Catapano, who was transferred from the reserve/non-football illness list to injured reserve this week.

Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said Friday a virus prompted Catapano’s placement on the non-football illness list before a concussion prompted the shift to injured reserve.

Reid said Saturday it was relief to have an answer for the illness that had plagued Catapano for nearly two months.

“We’re pulling for him. He’s a good kid,” Reid said. “It was just a matter of getting it all sorted out. We’re glad he’s back in and working out and getting himself back to what he loves doing, and that’s playing football.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2014 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Chiefs’ players with torn Achilles’ among 14 NFL players with same injury this year."