The Kansas City Chiefs are playing in their sixth consecutive AFC title game this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens with a shot at a second consecutive Super Bowl ring on the line.
While the season has had it’s ups and downs, Kansas City found a way to remain atop most of its competition and advance past some of the best teams in the NFL.
The Ravens offer a more challenging opponent, though, as Baltimore rose to the top of the AFC and the NFL behind MVP candidate Lamar Jackson and the No. 1 overall defense in the league.
So while the Chiefs head to M&T Bank Stadium with a lot of momentum after two big playoff wins, they’ll have to face the Ravens’ stout defense without one of their best offensive linemen with guard Joe Thuney expected to miss the game with a pec injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Chiefs’ Pro-Bowl guard Joe Thuney will not practice today due to his pec injury and, in the words of one source, is unlikely to play Sunday vs. the Ravens. But as another source also said, “he’s going to work like crazy to play.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2024
Thuney hasn’t been officially ruled out yet, but he won’t practice Wednesday with the game just a few days away on Sunday.
He left Sunday’s divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills after 37 snaps, and an MRI later revealed a strain rather than a tear.
If Thuney can’t play, the Chiefs will lean on backup Nick Allegretti, who has a lot of experience himself.
The best-case scenario for Thuney and the Chiefs is he sits out the game but Kansas City wins to give the guard two weeks to recover before a return to the Super Bowl.
For now, though, Kansas City will have to wait and see if he can recover in time to play against Baltimore.
