Kansas City Chiefs first-round draft pick Mansoor Delane provides update on shoulder injury at onset of training camp in St. Joe
Kansas City Chiefs rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane provided an update on his shoulder injury during his media availability on Saturday. He also spoke about how he aims to earn his keep during training camp and the preseason.
Kansas City Chiefs rookie CB Mansoor Delane participated in the first practice during the three-day rookie head start at 2026 training camp. He did, however, wear the yellow non-contact jersey. That’s typically reserved for players recovering from some sort of surgery, but it seems the team is simply acting out of an abundance of caution with their top draft pick.
This comes after Delane suffered a shoulder injury sometime during OTAs or mandatory minicamp. Delane sat out of the team’s mandatory minicamp in June with the injury, working on the sidelines on his own as his teammates practiced. It’s still unclear what the exact nature of the injury is, but Delane was out there participating in practice on Saturday.
Chiefs CB Mansoor Delane says his shoulder is improving with each passing day
Delane spoke to media members after practice, giving an update on his shoulder.
“It’s good,” Delane said. “Just getting better every day. The biggest thing right now is just getting my feet under me. I’m back, you know, acclimated to the conditioning and being with the team. That’s where I’m at.”
The No. 6 overall pick out of LSU says that he spent the period between mandatory minicamp and now preparing to hit the ground running.
“Just being in the playbook,” Delane said. “Being conditioned, being in shape, especially, you know, being at camp like this, that was the biggest focus.”
One of the challenges for all the rookies is adjusting to the hot and humid temperatures in St. Joseph, Missouri. Delane found a familiarity in the climate, but it still hit him by surprise.
“It’s similar, like to Louisiana, for sure,” he said. “But it’s definitely hotter than I thought.”
Delane feels no burden as the No. 6 overall pick
Starting off this juncture of the offseason injured, as the team’s top draft choice, is hardly ideal. However, Delane feels no extra burden or weight on him as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He recognizes that he’s in the position he’s in for a reason.
“I mean, to whom much is given, much is expected,” Delane explained. “So you know, you know, I’m the guy they pick first. I’m the guy they gave this position to. So you know, I really can’t complain when the task comes with it.”
Even with the attention on him as a top draft choice, Delane still feels like he’s an underdog. He knows that he’s got to get healthy and earn everything during the course of training camp and the preseason.
“I’m a guy who likes to be the underdog type of guy, and even though I feel like the spotlight could be on me, I still have an underdog mindset,” Delane said. “It’s crazy, but I feel like I’m competing to get the starting job. I’m competing to be out there. I don’t feel like I’ve been given anything yet. So, that’s my mindset.”