Chiefs place safety Thornhill, O-lineman Rankin on PUP list to start training camp
Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill’s surgically repaired knee won’t ready for action when the team begins training camp.
The Chiefs on Friday placed Thornhill and offensive lineman Martinas Rankin (knee) on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Thornhill suffered a torn ACL in the final regular-season game of 2019. While the second-year safety has recently posted photos on social media showing him working out, hitting the practice field with the team less than nine months removed from the injury might have been a stretch.
The Chiefs appeared to plan for Thornhill’s absence with the recent signing of veteran safety Tedric Thompson, who can play both safety positions and had been released by Seattle.
Rankin, who started five games in 2019, suffered his knee injury in Week 10 of the regular season and finished the year on injured reserve.
The designations, which don’t come as big surprises, mean neither player can practice until he is cleared by the Chiefs’ medical staff. In the event Thornhill and Rankin are not activated from the PUP list for the start of the regular season, they won’t be allowed to practice at all with the team during the first six weeks of the season.
After the strength and conditioning phase of training camp, the Chiefs’ first team practice of camp projects as being Aug. 14.
In another roster move, the Chiefs waived undrafted free agent wide receiver Aleva Hifo, an undrafted rookie out of BYU, after activating him from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
