The Chiefs did not get much out of defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah his first two seasons after they made him a first-round pick. They will get nothing out of him this season.
The team officially placed Anudike-Uzomah on injured reserve Monday, as coach Andy Reid expected earlier in the day.
Anudike-Uzomah strained his right hamstring.
The 2023 first-round pick has appeared in 34 games, with three starts, totaling eight tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
The Chiefs also announced they waived running back Elijah Young.
The team signed defensive end Owen Carney and linebacker Xander Mueller. Carney was with the Chiefs in training camp last year, and Mueller is an undrafted free agent out of Northwestern.
Chiefs defensive lineman Felix Anudike-Uzomah strained a hamstring and could land on injured reserve.
The 2023 first-round pick would see his season end if he’s placed on injured reserve before the cutdown date of Aug. 26, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that’s what “most likely” would happen.
“Yeah, that’s a tough thing,” Reid said, via Charles Goldman of AtoZ Sports. “He’s worked hard. We’ll see where it goes. I can’t tell you how long it’s going to be. Any time is disappointing for him because he’s worked so hard.”
Anudike-Uzomah has appeared in 34 games with three starts, totaling eight tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Linebacker Jack Cochrane has a bone bruise on his knee, Reid said. Offensive tackle Ethan Driskell (appendix), safety Mike Edwards (hamstring), safety Nazeeh Johnson (shoulder), defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (ankle), and wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee tendinitis) aren’t practicing Monday.
The Chiefs did see the return of wide receiver Hollywood Brown, who missed time with a foot/ankle injury. Reid would not commit to Brown playing in the final preseason game this week.
Kansas City’s regular players will be on the field for the club’s preseason finale against Chicago.
Head coach Andy Reid told reporters in his Monday press conference that the Chiefs’ starters will play on Friday night.
“They’ll start it off, for sure, and then we’ll see how it goes from there,” Reid said.
Last week, Reid had some starts — including the team’s offensive line — play with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. But Reid also said he wanted to put some younger players in a competitive situation.
“I wanted to give the best look we could to these guys that are trying to make the team,” Reid said. “We’ve got some guys who are right on the border of making it. Give them a shot. And I wanted to see the quarterback work with the [No.] 1 offensive line.”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes played just three snaps in the team’s preseason opener against Arizona, throwing a touchdown pass. He’s likely to play more than that on Friday night.
Wide receiver Hollywood Brown missed an extended period of time this summer with an injury to his ankle and foot, but the Chiefs have him back on the field.
Head coach Andy Reid said at a Monday press conference that Brown did some work in practice on Sunday and that the plan is for him to continue working on Monday. The Chiefs plan to play their starters in their final preseason game and Reid said that there’s been no decision about whether Brown could be among them.
“We’ll see how he progresses through this thing,” Reid said, via Nate Taylor of ESPN.com."It’s not a matter of want. He wants to do it. He’s taking it slow and we don’t want any setbacks.”
Brown was limited to five games last season, so it’s easy to understand why the Chiefs want to avoid further absences. Given the uncertainty about how long Rashee Rice will be available, it’s all the more important for Brown to be on the field this fall.
Regardless of whether the NFL should have immediately set a hearing in the Rashee Rice disciplinary case the instant he pleaded guilty to two felonies on July 17, the league and Rice haven’t been able to strike a deal on suspension.
The league, as recently noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, proposed a suspension that would last more than half of the season. Rice’s position is that there’s no precedent for that kind of punishment.
Rice’s side undoubtedly will point to the fact that the league suspended Jets cornerback Brandon Echols only one game in 2023, after causing a crash at a high rate of speed. Another driver was injured in the wreck, resulting in broken ribs and spinal surgery.
The league would likely say there’s no precedent to support a lengthy suspension of Rice, because the situation itself is unprecedented. First, he was racing. In broad daylight on a Dallas highway. Second, he caused a multi-car pileup that easily could have killed someone. Third, injuries happened. Fourth, the whole thing was caught on video.
Then there’s the fact that Rice initially left the scene. Although he eventually realized he had no choice but to admit he was driving, expect the hearing before Judge Sue L. Robinson to include evidence regarding Rice’s behavior after the crash.
Vikings receiver Jordan Addison, who was charged with DUI and pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor charge, recently received a three-game suspension. Yes, it’s a different policy. Regardless, Rice pleaded guilty to two felonies. He’ll spend 30 days in jail. He should get four games, at a minimum.
The real question is whether Judge Robinson (and, on appeal, the Commissioner or his designee) will ignore the fact that no one was killed and determine a punishment aimed at deterring others from playing Russian roulette with a two-ton steel machine on wheels.
Because that’s what Rice did, regardless of the fact that he (and those in the other cars around him) got lucky.
The two sides can reach an agreement on a suspension at any time. If they don’t, a hearing will happen on September 30. Rice will be available to play until the case ends.
And, yes, folks in the league continue to be confused by the league’s departure from the standard practice resolving suspensions before Week 1. Whatever the reason(s), it’s not the way these situations are typically handled.
