Will Chiefs’ DJ Humphries or Joe Thuney be KC’s starting left tackle in the playoffs?
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he will continue to evaluate the left tackle position ahead of his team’s opening playoff game in three weeks.
Specifically, Reid hopes to see D.J. Humphries play during Sunday’s Week 18 road game at Denver.
Humphries, who signed with the Chiefs late in the season, started at left tackle in a Week 14 home win against the Los Angeles Chargers before leaving the game with a hamstring injury. He has not returned to practice since.
“He’s doing good. I can’t make any promises,” Reid said of Humphries. “I want to get him out to practice and see where we’re at. But he is doing good in his rehab part. That’s different than being on the field, so I’d like to just see how he does there.”
With Humphries out for the last three games, the Chiefs moved left guard Joe Thuney to left tackle, with backup Mike Caliendo sliding into Thuney’s previous spot at left guard.
Reid has been complimentary of both during the last three contests, though KC also has heavily catered the offensive game plan to help them. In Wednesday’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, for example, quarterback Patrick Mahomes averaged 2.34 seconds to throw according to NFL Next Gen Stats — the fastest mark of his season and second-quickest of his career.
When asked about his ideal scenario for the playoffs — Thuney at left tackle or Humphries back in that position — Reid said he was “gonna play it by ear as we go here.”
“I’ve been happy with Caliendo and how he’s played. I’ve been happy with Joe, how he’s played. I appreciate them jumping in and keeping the level of play up,” Reid said. “And I’m curious to see where D.J.’s at and if he can do anything. So I just want to see where we’re at, and I’ll evaluate them as we go down the stretch here.”
Reid also gave a few other injury updates.
That included one on running back Isiah Pacheco, who left the game Wednesday after injuring his ribs against the Steelers. Reid confirmed Monday that Pacheco should be available for the playoffs in three weeks.
“He is tender,” Reid said, “and I’ll probably hold him back here this week in practice just a bit so he can be fresh, ready to go.”
Reid also addressed the statuses of four players who have been out: receivers Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice and cornerback Jaylen Watson.
Regarding this year’s playoffs, Reid said that Moore and Rice remained out for the season. He said Hardman (knee) had a “chance” to return in the postseason, while Watson (ankle) “potentially” could come back at some point as well.
Watson, though, appears to be more of a long shot than Hardman.
“I mean, potentially,” Reid said of Watson’s chances of a return this season. “That would be stretching it.”
Reid said he would not announce which starters would play in Sunday’s game against Denver until he talked to his players this week. The Chiefs locked up the AFC’s No. 1 seed with Wednesday’s victory against the Steelers, meaning this regular-season finale has no postseason ramifications for KC.
