Chiefs put K-State product Byron Pringle on injured reserve, sign OL to practice squad
The Chiefs’ depth at the wide receiver position will be tested ahead of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Wide receiver Byron Pringle, who suffered an ankle injury in Sunday night’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders, was placed on injured reserve, the Chiefs announced Tuesday afternoon.
With Pringle down, the Chiefs are left with wide receivers Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinsons and Mecole Hardman on the active 53-player roster. Watkins, in particular, hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5, a span of five games.
With rules in place this year due to COVID-19, the Chiefs don’t designate exactly how long Pringle will be out, though once placed on IR, players are required to remain there for at least three weeks.
Having just four wide receivers, including just three who are fully healthy, on an active NFL roster isn’t ideal. But the Chiefs have options on their practice squad, including Marcus Kemp, Gehrig Dieter, Jody Fortson and Maurice Ffrench, to potentially elevate to the active roster if needed.
Kemp and Dieter have been called up in recent weeks for games with Watkins out.
Pringle heads to injured reserve with nine catches for 108 yards. The Kansas State product also accounted for seven kickoff returns for 247 yards, including a 102-yard return for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Week 7.
In other roster-related news, the Chiefs officially signed guard Stefen Wisniewski to the practice squad, an expected move previously reported by The Star. To make room for Wisniewski, the Chiefs released cornerback Lavert Hill from the practice squad.
The Chiefs also activated offensive lineman Martinas Rankin from the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday.
