Two potentially big developments for the first 2017 NFL season opener came up on Friday night. The Chiefs saw RB Spencer Ware carted off but do not think it is the dreaded season-ending ACL while the Patriots saw WR Julian Edelman go down with what they reportedly believe is an ACL injury.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid called Ware’s a sprained knee after the game but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Chiefs believed it was a PCL injury. This piece from the Star’s Terez Paylor suggests 2-6 weeks as a possible timeline.
Chiefs think Spencer Ware suffered PCL injury, but he will undergo an MRI on Saturday to determine extent of injury. ACL thought to be fine.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2017
My impression is that PCL injuries are still just that: an injury. So we should probably expect Ware to miss some time. I really doubt the Chiefs are going to give a timetable. Sometimes they’ll send out trainer Rick Burkholder with more details while other times it’s the media trying to pry any information they can out of Andy Reid. We do know that Ware probably won’t start playing until he starts practicing so that’s what we’ll be watching.
As for replacing Ware, Kareem Hunt stepped right in after him so you have to think he sees the bulk of those carries for as long as Ware is out (if he misses any games). The Chiefs also have CJ Spiller who has shown a nice burst in the preseason. He could be another candidate. Charcandrick West rounds out the top backs. If this injury is going to last a while, the Chiefs could also be looking at any running backs cut by other teams coming up on cut down weekend.
An injury like this is why people hate the preseason. In a meaningless game, the Chiefs are going to lose a guy they really need during games that actually count.