Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid’s latest injury update on Mansoor Delane raises questions, but leaves no doubt about his toughness
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid called rookie CB Mansoor Delane a “tough nut” on Monday. He praised the rookie for going out there and participating in practice with his particular injury.
On the first day of padded training camp practices for the Kansas City Chiefs, Mansoor Delane was the only player on the field with a helmet and no pads.
The No. 6 overall pick still wore the yellow non-contact jersey that he’d worn since reporting to training camp on July 24. He remains hampered by a shoulder injury, the extent of which remains unknown. For the first time, this injury saw him sitting out of team drills during training camp.
During practice, the Chiefs’ defense had 12 men in the huddle. It didn’t draw the ire of the NFL referees in attendance, though. Delane would stand in the huddle, hear the play call, and then scurry off the field to watch the play from the sidelines.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid elaborated on the situation with Delane following practice.
“Yeah, so he’s a tough nut,” Reid said of Delane. “You know, a lot of guys probably wouldn’t go out there and play with what he’s got, but he wants to be out there. He wants to learn. That’s what he wants to do. So, but contact, we’ve got to keep him out of contact, and right now that’s important until that thing heals up. Footwork and all that is great. Go do all that, no problem. We’ve got to just wait until it’s healed up.”
It’s apparent that Delane is trying to tough out his injury to the best of his ability, but it’s hard not to wonder if he’s doing himself a disservice.
Kansas City Chiefs rookie CB Mansoor Delane’s shoulder injury and timeline remain unknown
Reid previously indicated that Delane was practicing one-handed because of his shoulder injury. He maintained that the yellow non-contact jersey would eventually come off, but the latest comments certainly are a cause for concern. The fact that the injury is so significant that others wouldn’t play through it? That’s the type of comment that raises serious questions about the severity of the injury.
After all, the Chiefs just went through a situation where Xavier Worthy played through a torn labrum in 2025. The wide receiver admitted that he wasn’t anywhere near 100% playing through that injury, and that he wasn’t going to be until he had surgery. Is Delane pushing through a similar type of injury? Is it something else that is less severe? That all remains a mystery.
It’s clear that the rookie doesn’t want to miss time. It’s also clear that the team is indulging him in his desire and want-to. However, the shoulder injury appears to be a bit more significant than perhaps was initially let on. Delane himself said that he continues to make progress and get better every day.
“It’s good,” Delane said on July 25. “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.”
Yet, Monday’s practice very much felt like a setback. Even though he was out there, he wasn’t working. He missed valuable practice repetitions. There’s also no indication that his status is going to change anytime soon. Until then, Delane will likely have similar practice patterns. He’ll wait for Andy Reid’s signature 10-10-10 padless practices that come after so many consecutive padded practice sessions. There he’ll be able to contribute and participate.
