Chiefs’ Reid says LeSean McCoy was inactive Sunday so he’ll be effective later in year
What’s become a popular practice in the NBA — load management — appeared to have been applied to Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy on Sunday.
McCoy traveled for the game at Tennessee but unexpectedly was listed as inactive for the Chiefs’ 35-32 loss to the Titans.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game that the idea was to lighten McCoy’s workload and have him rested for the season’s final stretch. On Monday, Reid said the decision was about managing the 31-year-old running back’s workload.
“I’ll just manage him the way I think is best so he stays effective throughout the season,” Reid said. “He’s a bit older and it’s my responsibility to manage him the way I think is best. I chose what I did, right or wrong.”
Despite not playing Sunday, McCoy, an 11-year veteran in his first year with the Chiefs, remains the team’s rushing leader with 371 yards. He’s been sharing time with Damien Williams, who started and got the bulk of the workload against the Titans, and Darrel Williams.
Damien Williams rushed for 77 yards and caught five passes for 32 yards against the Titans, but also lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. For the season, Damien Williams has 79 rushing attempts, McCoy 72.
In recent years, NBA teams have rested top players during the regular season in an effort to maximize their performance in the playoffs. Last season, Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors played in 60 of 82 regular season games before leading the team to the NBA championship. Leonard now plays for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Reid didn’t have an update on the Chiefs’ injured players. He said after the that game that defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah had torn a pectoral muscle but said Monday the team didn’t know the extent of the injury. The Chiefs have been without end Alex Okafor for the past two games because of an ankle injury.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported later Monday that Ogbah will have season-ending surgery. He leads the Chiefs with 5 1/2 sacks.
Offensive lineman Martinas Rankin left Sunday’s game because of a knee injury and was placed on injured reserve Monday. To take his place on the roster, the Chiefs signed Jackson Barton off the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad.
Reid also said there is a chance offensive linemen Eric Fisher and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif return to action for the next game, against the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City on Monday Night Football.
“There’s a chance to get those guys back in the mix,” Reid said.
This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 1:42 PM.