Former KC Chiefs teammates will oppose each other in the secondary Sunday at Washington
In 2019, the Chiefs lost starting safety Juan Thornhill to a knee injury in their regular-season finale. So they turned to Kendall Fuller, who had played a variety of roles that season, to take his snaps.
Fuller made the most of the postseason, with two starts in three games. He sealed the Chiefs’ first Super Bowl championship in half a century with an interception of Jimmy Garoppolo on the 49ers’ final possession.
Fuller is back with his original team, Washington, and both players could be key figures when the teams meet Sunday. Here’s our weekly look at some players to watch (aside from the quarterbacks, of course, because that would be too obvious).
Chiefs running back Darrel Williams
With Clyde Edwards-Helaire down, Darrel Williams likely will make his first NFL start. He got emotional about it the other day, saying, “It would mean a lot to me because I worked my whole life to be a starter in the league, and I finally get this chance.”
Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill
Although Thornhill didn’t speak to reporters this past week, there’s a growing sense that he’ll get more snaps Sunday and perhaps even start against Washington. He was an All-Rookie selection in 2019 who suffered a torn ACL that kept him out of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run. He said he never felt 100% last season. His percentage of defensive snaps has decreased from 89% as a rookie to 71% last season and 43% this year.
Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen
Allen is part of the organization’s dedication to improving its defense. He was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2017, and the other starters on Washington’s defensive front — tackle Daron Payne and ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young — also were first-round picks. Allen got off to a fast start this season with three sacks in the first two games, but he hasn’t had one since. Sweat picked up his first sack of the year in last weekend’s loss to the Saints.
Washington cornerback Kendall Fuller
Fuller is a fixture in the secondary, and no one who plays for Washington is more familiar with Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce. Still, the Saints’ Jameis Winston put up four touchdown passes last week and expect the Chiefs to test Washington’s secondary.