KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In early September, running back Kareem Hunt was on the couch — literally.
Just a few weeks earlier, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was at home. Matthew Wright, the third kicker the Chiefs have used this season, has spent almost his entire four-year career bouncing between the couch and NFL locker rooms.
The Chiefs practiced Wednesday on their indoor field. One of the players next to Hunt before practice was cornerback Steven Nelson, who ended a short-lived retirement to sign with the Chiefs on Monday.
At almost every position on their roster, the Chiefs have a player they acquired this season who didn’t go through training camp — or play in a preseason game or even have a padded practice — before jumping aboard the team’s pursuit of an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl victory.
And yet, most of those players have played a role in the Chiefs’ 12-1 start.
“It was more difficult just coming straight off the couch,” Hunt said of leading the Chiefs with 167 rushing attempts for 608 yards in 10 games. “I love the game. I just love being out on the field. Whatever it (took) to win, I was willing to do that.”
This unforeseen theme will continue throughout December and likely January. Adding so many players has put coach Andy Reid and his athletic training staff in a less-than-ideal situation: How quickly can you bring a player up to speed — with the playbook, his conditioning and his timing with teammates — before giving him snaps without increasing the risk of an injury?
“You have to listen to everybody, in particular the (player), and see where he’s at,” Reid said. “You get to know them in that period of time and make a judgment on it and go with it.
“It’s a sport where even the healthy guys and guys that have been with us from the beginning have a chance of getting hurt. We just make an evaluation with the different information.”
#Chiefs newest cornerback Steven Nelson on the field for practice today. #ChiefsKingdom @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/iFcefftbI0
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) December 11, 2024
The Chiefs’ last-second victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday displayed the tightrope Reid and some of his players have walked. Left tackle D.J. Humphries, an eight-year veteran, was home for much of this season while recovering from a torn ACL. In late November, Humphries signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs to help solve one of their biggest issues: protecting the blind side of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Less than two weeks after joining the Chiefs, Humphries started against the Chargers, often receiving additional instructions from Mahomes after the offense broke the huddle.
“I’ve got full faith in the fact that this organization knows what to do with players and knows where to put them and puts them in the roles they need to be in,” Humphries said in late November. “All I’ve got to do is go out there on the field and be the best version of myself.”
The reason the Chiefs felt Humphries had to start is because Wanya Morris, a second-year player, allowed 11 pressures on 48 pass-blocking snaps the previous week in the Chiefs’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
But Humphries, as expected, struggled at times in his 44 pass-blocking snaps, surrendering five pressures, two quarterback hits and one sack, according to Pro Football Focus. On his 60th snap, with less than four minutes left in the game, Humphries strained his left hamstring while trying to make a reach block.
With Morris replacing Humphries, Mahomes led the Chiefs’ comeback, which culminated with Wright’s game-winning 31-yard field goal.
“We’re just going to take it day by day and see how he does,” Reid said of Humphries, who didn’t practice Wednesday. “It’ll be similar to last week. I’ve got a couple (lineup possibilities) that I can do at that (left tackle) spot.”
#Chiefs left tackle D.J. Humphries on the field for stretch portion of practice. Coach Reid stated earlier he wouldn’t practice. He didn’t say he wouldn’t stretch. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/kg1Urqn9rB
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) December 11, 2024
The Chiefs’ next opponent is the Cleveland Browns, who employ one of the league’s best edge rushers: Myles Garrett, who has 11 sacks, 22 QB hits, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. If Humphries doesn’t play against the Browns, Reid could reinsert Morris into the starting lineup or move left guard Joe Thuney to left tackle. If that happens, Mike Caliendo would play left guard.
“It’s different bringing all these guys in this late,” Hunt said. “It’s honestly helping our team.”
Nelson, a nine-year veteran, stretched alongside Hunt on Wednesday partly because Hunt is one of the few teammates he knows from his last season with the Chiefs in 2018.
Nelson, a 2015 third-round pick by the Chiefs, has also been a solid contributor for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans. Last offseason, though, Nelson didn’t have many options to continue his career as a free agent. He decided to retire in early June, electing to spend more time with his two daughters and hosting his podcast, “The Corner Suite.”
“Just to be able to sit back and enjoy some time off with the family, at that moment it was really true,” Nelson said of his retirement. “I put a lot of time in this game. I guess it’s God’s plan.”
Nelson said Wednesday that he was shocked when the Chiefs called him last week to see if he was interested in joining them as a potential rotational defender for coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Before his tryout workout Monday, Nelson said he kept his usual routine in the fall despite not being with the team — waking up early, working out and running a lot.
“It’s one of the perfect scenarios, especially where this team has been,” Nelson said. “It’s a great opportunity. Right now, I’m just being open-minded. I’ve been at home for a while. I’m just coming in, putting my head down and working, like I’ve always done, and see where we go from there.
“I’m 10 years older, a lot wiser and a lot of things have changed. I think I just sat (in the Chiefs’ training facility Monday) and looked around like I was in my (rookie) year here. I was just kind of in awe.”
They made the Wright choice 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Xrhcp40ZrI
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 11, 2024
The Chiefs expect Nelson’s acclimation period to be longer than that of Humphries, Hunt and Wright. Perhaps Nelson will get three weeks of practice before he is in uniform when the Chiefs play the Steelers on Christmas Day. But Nelson could be featured in Spagnuolo’s secondary as early as next week against the Texans if cornerbacks Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson struggle in coverage Sunday against the Browns.
No matter when he takes his first snap of the season, Nelson will be after the same thing as Hunt, Wright and Humphries: a long-coveted Super Bowl ring.
“It definitely made a big factor in getting me here,” Nelson said. “I’m just trying to see if I can help.”
(Photo of kicker Matthew Wright: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)
