Andy Reid gives status updates for 8 Chiefs ahead of Week 7’s game with 49ers

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided a slew of player updates when he took the podium for Week 7’s initial press conference on Wednesday. The Chiefs travel to the west coast on Sunday to take on the San Francisco 49ers in the final game before their bye week.

Defensive end Mike Danna and left guard Joe Thuney are not practicing Wednesday, but Reid remained optimistic about their status for Sunday’s game.

“Mike Danna won’t practice, although he’s doing better. We’re going to hold him out, and Thuney fits into that same category with the ankle sprain,” said Reid. “[Thuney] won’t practice [Wednesday]. We’re just monitoring those two guys.”

Danna returned to play the Buffalo Bills for 24 defensive snaps after missing three games due to his calf injury. Reid sounded less optimistic about cornerback Rashad Fenton.

“Fenton won’t practice with the hamstring,” added Reid. “[Trent] McDuffie will practice and we’ll just see how he does as we go.”

McDuffie injured his hamstring during the Chiefs’ Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals, which landed him on injured reserve. McDuffie began practicing last Wednesday, beginning a 21-day window in which Kansas City can activate him to the roster.

Even though he practiced all three days of last week, the Chiefs opted to give McDuffie another game’s rest. His activation could come ahead of the 49ers matchup on Sunday.

As of now, tight end Blake Bell and offensive lineman Lucas Niang will remain on the injured reserve and physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) lists, according to Reid — who also said that the earliest either player might return would most likely be the Week 9 home game against the Tennessee Titans.

“They are getting better. We just have to see, see how it goes,” said Reid of Bell and Niang.

This week, the Chiefs plan to ramp up linebacker Willie Gay Jr. following his four-game suspension — but Reid wouldn’t commit to him playing against the 49ers.

“I’m going to see how things go here this week,” said Reid. “We’ll see. We’ll just see how it goes, see where he’s at.”

Finally, the head coach said that safety Bryan Cook is returning to the practice field on Wednesday after missing Sunday’s game in the concussion protocol.