Status updates on Tyreek Hill and Melvin Gordon ahead of Thursday night

One of the biggest matchups of the season happens this Thursday night when the Kansas City Chiefs (11-2) take on the Los Angeles Chargers (10-3) at Arrowhead Stadium.

At the beginning of the week, there were questions regarding whether two of the game’s stars—the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill and Chargers’ Melvin Gordon—would be ready to compete.

Hill played through a foot injury on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens that left fans wondering, while Gordon has been held out of the past two games due to a Grade 2 MCL sprain.

There were promising signs for both players on Tuesday.

In Kansas City, the Chiefs said that Hill would “do something,” and head coach Andy Reid followed that up by telling Los Angeles reporters Hill “should be OK.”

Hill’s presence is critical since it looks like the Chiefs will once again be without wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who was given the “did not practice” designation for the second day in a row Tuesday.

On the Chargers’ side of things, news was trending in the right direction for Gordon as well. He told reporters he is feeling much better.

The game-time decision on Gordon will be one to watch, given the Chargers could be down to their third running back in Justin Jackson with backup Austin Ekeler getting hurt toward the end of Sunday’s game against the Bengals. It has been reported that Ekeler is “very stiff” and can barely move his head.

If the Chargers opt to sit Gordon, the expected running back rotation will be Jackson, Detrez Newsome and fullback Derek Watt.

Entering Week 15, Jackson and Newsome have a combined 71 offensive snaps on the season.

Likewise, if Spencer Ware cannot start for the Chiefs, their expected rotation will be Damien Williams, Darrel Williams and the newly resigned Charcandrick West.