KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two Kansas City Chiefs defenders will pop up on the injury list after missing practice Wednesday, according to coach Andy Reid.
He said linebacker Leo Chenal and safety Mike Edwards are “under the weather” as preparations begin for Sunday’s visit to the New England Patriots.
Edwards started in place of Bryan Cook, who landed on injured reserve last week after suffering an ankle injury in a loss at Green Bay.
Two other starters who missed last week’s home loss against Buffalo — running back Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) and left tackle Donovan Smith (neck) — also will sit out Wednesday’s practice.
Pacheco, who had 110 yards rushing and a touchdown at Green Bay, missed a game for the first time in his two-year NFL, but Reid praised the work of Kansas City's backups against Buffalo.
“We love Pacheco and we love his energy, but at the same time Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) and (Jerick) McKinnon, I thought, did a tremendous job in there,” Reid said. “I don’t want to slight any of them, because they’re all playing well and bring energy in their own way.”
Combined, Edwards-Helaire and McKinnon combined for 58 yards rushing on 15 carries and added another 47 yards on five receptions.
Edwards-Helaire's 29 receiving yards were a season-high, while his 39 yards rushing were the second-most of the season.
Rookie third-round pick Wanya Morris played well in place of Smith, logging a career-high 66 snaps on offense with no penalties in his first NFL start.
“I thought Wanya did a nice job,” Reid said. “You could really tell the athletic ability and the strength. There’s some things he’s got to learn, obviously, but he wasn’t fazed by the whole scene. He got in there, did his thing. ... I was happy with what I saw there.”
The Chiefs are comfortable leaning on Morris again if Smith remains unavailable.
“Everyone else will be in there rolling,” Reid said of Wednesday's practice.
That includes linebacker Drue Tranquill, who missed last week’s game after suffering a concussion against the Packers.
Linebacker Nick Bolton, who returned last week from a six-week absence after wrist surgery, was listed as a limited participant with wrist and abdominal injuries on the Chiefs' official injury report.
Kansas City play at noon Sunday at New England.
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