3 Chiefs won’t be practicing to start training camp

Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks and rookies reported to the team’s 2022 training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri on Friday — and head coach Andy Reid conducted his first media session.

Reid began his remarks with a statement about the current injuries on his 90-man roster.

“Rashad Fenton had shoulder surgery. Lucas Niang had knee surgery. These guys will be up here, but they won’t be practicing. And then Justyn Ross had foot surgery, so he won’t be practicing, either. Everyone else is good to go; everybody else is back and rolling. So we’re in good shape.”

We already knew that both Fenton and Niang had these injuries, but we weren’t sure if either would be available when camp began. The Internet has been buzzing about Ross, who was recently photographed wearing a walking boot.

Pressed for details, Reid said that all three players would begin training camp on the “PUP (physically unable to perform) list.”

Reid was referring to the league’s Active/PUP list, which is used only until Week 1. Players who end up on training camp PUP before workouts begin will continue to be counted on the team’s active roster — and, as Reid noted, can work with trainers at team facilities.

If they are cleared to play, they can be removed from the list and begin practicing at camp. But once Week 1 gets here, these players will have to be medically cleared to the active roster, put on the in-season Reserve/PUP list (where they must stay through the first six weeks of the season) or the Reserve/Injured (injured reserve) list, from which they can start the process of getting back on the field after the team has played four games.

(During the COVID-19 pandemic, the waiting period for the Reserve/Injured list was reduced from eight games to three. In May, it was increased to four games — and the number of players a team could return from Reserve/Injured in a single season was capped at eight. Players may be placed on IR (and returned) twice in one season — but in each instance, the return counts against the limit of eight).

Any players on an in-season Reserve list do not count on the 53-man roster.

Players can only be placed on Reserve/PUP if they are placed on Active/PUP before training camp begins. So the Chiefs appear to be covering their bases in case any of these injuries last through training camp. Reid, however, gave no timeline on any of the players’ expected return.