Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed returned to practice field Wednesday; Butker out with back spasms
Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed took a positive step in his recovery from a hip injury ahead of Saturday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
Sneed, who didn’t practice Tuesday, was spotted at the Chiefs’ indoor field with his helmet on Wednesday. He went through stretching and conditioning during the portion of practice that was open to media.
The starting cornerback hurt his hip in the fourth quarter of Week 17’s 27-24 win over the Denver Broncos and didn’t finish the game.
While Sneed’s return is good news, kicker Harrison Butker was unable to practice on Wednesday.
“His back spasmed up today, so he didn’t practice,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “It’s getting better as we go here, but he did have some back spasms and we just pulled off.”
If Butker can’t play Saturday, the Chiefs could elect to bring in another kicker as insurance. One candidate could be current free agent Matthew Wright, who kicked for the Chiefs earlier this season when Butker missed time with an ankle injury.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Skyy Moore (hand) was also on the practice field wearing his helmet, as were left guard Joe Thuney (ankle) and linebacker Nick Bolton (rib). Moore did not practice Tuesday; Thuney was limited and Bolton was a full participant.
Wide receiver Mecole Hardman (pelvis) was also spotted on the practice field, and the Chiefs officially activated him from the reserve/injured list to the 53-player roster.
The Chiefs later in the afternoon designated Hardman, Sneed, Moore and Thuney as limited participants in practice. Bolton practiced fully for a second straight day.
This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 12:21 PM.
