Speedy rookie De’Anthony Thomas injured his hamstring in practice Thursday in an incident described by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid as “a crazy deal.”
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That crazy deal and the hammy problem that resulted from it will likely keep Thomas from making his NFL debut this Sunday for the Chiefs against the Titans.
Reid sounded optimistic about Thomas’ chances on Thursday but Friday the coach painted a grimmer picture:
Reid said DeAnthony Thomas "would be a stretch" for the Titans game.
— RIP Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) September 5, 2014
The 5-9 Thomas is expected to bring a high-speed big-play dimension to the Chiefs as a punt returner and scat back, but KC fans will have to wait at least an extra week to see their shiny new toy in action.
Who will play in place of Thomas? Chiefs OC Doug Pederson doesn’t sound very sure (via The Kansas City Star):
"“You’ve got plenty of guys, really,” offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said. “You’ve got a guy like (wide receiver) A.J. Jenkins as a potential guy. Albert (Wilson) has had some reps at that position all through training camp. Junior Hemingway is in that role … Joe McKnight … We’ll get the next guy ready, and hopefully all is good, and we’ll get him out here.”"
Also out for the Chiefs this weekend are receiver Dwayne Bowe and OT Donald Stephenson, who are both serving suspensions.
The good news for Kansas City is that they’re only playing the Titans and they have them at home. They should be able to handle Tennessee even short-handed.