R Mason Thomas is the latest addition to the Kansas City Chiefs’ injury list ahead of Week 1 vs. the Denver Broncos
The Kansas City Chiefs have a new injury to watch heading into Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season against the Denver Broncos. Plus, starting RG Trey Smith provided updates on his hip injury.
The Kansas City Chiefs held their second consecutive practice of the week on Thursday, Sept. 3. They’ll now take three days of practice off before returning to action for a single practice session on Monday or Tuesday of next week. They’ll begin their regular practice schedule on Thursday, Sept. 10.
With practice wrapping up for the week, the team saw some new injury developments. The good news? Chris Jones returned to practice after missing time on Wednesday with a back injury. According to KC Star columnist Sam McDowell, both starting LT Josh Simmons and practice squad DT Marcus Harris were not seen at practice.
According to FOX 4 Kansas City reporter Harold R. Kuntz, Ashton Gillotte, R Mason Thomas, and Chamarri Conner were present for practice but did not participate. McDowell noted that DE Tyreke Smith was also without a helmet in practice. Gillotte has been out with a ruptured plantar fascia, and Conner with a knee injury. Thomas was a new addition to the injury list.
Chiefs say rookie DE R Mason Thomas is dealing with a hamstring injury
Chiefs PR told reporters after media availability that R Mason Thomas was dealing with a hamstring injury. According to Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick, Thomas wore a compression sleeve on his right leg while watching practice from the sidelines. The recovery timeline for a grade 1 hamstring strain ranges from 1-3 weeks in the NFL. With a dozen days to go until the team’s Week 1 game against the Denver Broncos, there’s a high probability that he’ll be able to return to practice and play in that game.
If he were unable to play, the Chiefs would be in a bit of a predicament with their edge rusher depth. It’s unclear if Gillotte will be ready to play in Week 1. Jack Pyburn is only just getting up to speed after being claimed on waivers. That’d leave George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah as the two healthy players on the 53-man roster. Remember, practice squad DE Tyreke Smith was also dealing with a hamstring injury prior to roster cuts. Emmanuel Ogbah could potentially be elevated to the active roster as depth.
Chiefs RG Trey Smith gives reporters an update on his hip injury
There was some more good injury news on Thursday. Chiefs RG Trey Smith spoke to media members about his hip injury that saw him miss time in training camp and the preseason.
Asked if he feels healthy enough to start the season, Smith responded with, “Yeah, yeah, absolutely.”
Asked about what he did to injure the hip, he pointed to nothing in particular.
“Ah, nothing, man,” Smith said. “You know, I mean, we’re just getting after it. We’ll be back. It’s no problem. Yeah, so far, it’s football. You never feel 100%.”
It’s clear the hip issue might stick with him this season. Yet he seems confident he’ll be able to power through it and that it won’t affect his game. Smith prides himself on being reliable and on the field to support his teammates.
“Yeah, I just don’t like putting my teammates out in a position where now they’re having to take extra reps, or for me to leave my team hanging and not being at my best,” Smith said. “A lot of times, I’m a little hard-headed in that regard because, you know, I’m not at my best. It’s not the best thing for the team… It’s like if I’m able to go, I’m gonna try to go and give as much as I have, regardless. And you know, just once again, you’re never gonna feel 100% playing football, so it’s just part of the job and part of the responsibility. And you know, like (Eric Bieniemy) says, ‘Hell, we signed up for it.’ So at the end of the day, I signed the contract, so it’s my job to be out there.”
