A quarter of Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man roster appears on first injury report for Week 16 vs. Tennessee Titans
The Chiefs are hurting after their Week 15 loss to the Chargers… literally.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans have released their first injury report ahead of Week 16’s game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
It was a light practice in Kansas City on Wednesday, as the team is particularly banged up, with over 25% of the 53-man roster appearing on the injury report. You won’t find star QB Patrick Mahomes on the injury report despite surgery to repair multiple ligaments in his left knee. That’s because the team officially placed Mahomes on season-ending injured reserve. You will, however, find two new names on the injury report who were designated to return from injured reserve.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the first injury reports for each team in Week 16.
Chiefs’ Wednesday injury report for Week 16
| Player | Injury | Weds./Thurs./Fri. |
|---|---|---|
| WR Rashee Rice | Concussion | DNP |
| CB Trent McDuffie | Knee | DNP |
| WR Tyquan Thornton | Concussion | DNP |
| RT Jawaan Taylor | Knee / Triceps | DNP |
| OT Jaylon Moore | Knee | DNP |
| LB Leo Chenal | Shoulder | DNP |
| RG Trey Smith | Ankle | FP |
| TE Jake Briningstool (IR) | Hamstring | FP |
| TE Noah Gray | Shoulder | FP |
| S Mike Edwards | Shoulder | FP |
| S Bryan Cook | Ankle | FP |
| CB Nazeeh Johnson (IR) | Shoulder | FP |
| WR Juju Smith-Schuster | Rib | FP |
| WR Nikko Remigio | Knee | FP |
| WR Hollywood Brown | NIR (Personal) | FP |
| DT Chris Jones | Hamstring | LP |
Observations
- LB Leo Chenal has been battling through a shoulder injury, one that could ultimately land him on injured reserve. The pending 2026 free agent may have played his last snap with the Chiefs.
- CB Trent McDuffie being a non-participant this week means that the team could ultimately shut him down for the remainder of the 2025 NFL season. He’s one of their few assets with real trade value, and it’s not worth the risk of putting him out there.
- WR Rashee Rice and WR Tyquan Thornton are both in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Andy Reid said they’d see how both players progress throughout the week, but it’s possible neither suits up in Week 16.
- Chiefs’ offensive tackles Jaylon Moore and Jawaan Taylor won’t be rushed back from injury, though HC Andy Reid did note that Taylor’s status is improving.
- RG Trey Smith is back to a full participant in practice, which means he could finally be back on the field after missing the past several games with high and low ankle sprains.
- TE Jake Briningstool and CB Nazeeh Johnson are practicing for the first time since training camp and the preseason. They remain on injured reserve, but have their 21-day practice window active and can be activated to the 53-man roster at any time.
Titans’ Wednesday injury report for Week 16
| Player | Injury | Weds./Thurs./Fri. |
|---|---|---|
| CB Jalyn Armour-Davis | Achilles | LP |
| OLB Ali Gaye | Knee | LP |
| LB Cedric Gray | Concussion | DNP |
| TE Gunnar Helm | Toe | LP |
| S Amani Hooker | Illness | DNP |
| WR Van Jefferson | Back | DNP |
| T Dan Moore Jr. | Neck | FP |
| TE Chig Okonkwo | NIR – Rest | LP |
| OLB Olu Oladejo | Fibula | LP |
| WR Bryce Oliver | Knee | LP |
| DT Jeffery Simmons | NIR- Rest | LP |
| S Kevin Winston Jr. | Groin | DNP |
Observations
- The area to watch for the Titans is their defensive secondary, specifically the safety position, as they just placed several players on injured reserve.
Kansas City Chiefs News
Chiefs VP of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder is holding no illusions about Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury return timeline
The Kansas City Chiefs’ Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance gave a big update on Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury on Wednesday.
