13 Chiefs not on the field for Thursday’s OTA session

On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs had their ninth voluntary organized team activity (OTA) session at the team’s practice facility on the grounds of the Truman Sports Complex. Under rules established for the 2021 offseason, the team is allowed a total of 10 of these OTA sessions. The last one is scheduled for Friday.

Just as has happened during the last two weeks, Tuesday and Wednesday’s on-field work was closed to outsiders. But selected members of the press were allowed to observe portions of Thursday’s session. According to a report from the Kansas City Star’s Herbie Teope, 10 Chiefs were not present for the voluntary session.

According to Teope, offensive linemen Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Martinas Rankin and Kyle Long did not participate. (Long was reported to have been injured during Wednesday’s session). Defensive linemen Frank Clark and Demone Harris were also absent, as were defensive backs Armani Watts, Rashad Fenton and Charvarius Ward.

Teope also reported three other players were present on Thursday, but were not participating in on-field activities: defensive tackle Chris Jones, cornerback Deandre Baker and rookie linebacker Malik Herring.

It’s important to remember that the absence of these players during Thursday’s voluntary session tells us nothing about whether they participated on Tuesday and Wednesday’s workouts. However, Duvernay-Tardif, Clark and Ward have now been absent for all three of the OTAs open to the media — although when he spoke to the press later, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that Duvernay-Tardif will be present when mandatory minicamp begins on Tuesday. But some of those absent last Thursday — including running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams, defensive linemen Jarran Reed and Taco Charlton and cornerback Mike Hughes — were on the field.