With Ogbah out, Chiefs are thin at defensive end. But Eric Fisher returns to practice
Defensive end is the latest Chiefs position group thinned by injuries.
Emmanual Ogbah, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle last weekend against Tennessee, underwent surgery this week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Thursday.
Also, Alex Okafor missed practice Thursday recovering from an ankle injury, while tight end Blake Bell did not work with what Reid categorized as a high-ankle sprain.
Another defensive end was able to return for the Chiefs last week against the Tennessee Titans. Frank Clark, who had missed the previous two games, told The Star after the game that he has been dealing with a pinched nerve in his neck all season.
Clark, who practiced fully Thursday, wound up playing 40 of the 50 defensive snaps against the Titans, the most of any Chiefs defensive end.
In better news on the injury front, quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he felt good after playing in his first game since suffering a dislocated kneecap in Week 7 against Denver.
“I felt really good, honestly,” said Mahomes, who practiced fully Thursday.
Additional positive news arrived on Thursday’s injury report, which showed left tackle Eric Fisher (groin) and right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (ankle) returning to full practice.
Fisher’s progress is significant considering he hasn’t played or put in a full practice since undergoing surgery for a sports hernia in mid-September. He has practiced on a limited basis in recent weeks, but Thursday marked the first time since the medical procedure that he participated in team-related drills.
Duvernay-Tardif suffered his ankle injury in Week 8 and has missed two straight games.
While the Chiefs have two days of practice ahead before facing the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football in Mexico City, getting Fisher and Duvernay-Tardif back for the game is welcomed news. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who briefly left Week 10’s games with a knee injury, was limited Thursday.
The Chiefs listed defensive tackle Chris Jones (groin), wide receiver Sammy Watkins (groin), tackle Cam Erving (ankle), defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (elbow) and cornerback Kendall Fuller (thumb) as full participants in Thursday’s practice.
Fuller hasn’t played since undergoing surgery on his thumb in Week 7.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 1:30 PM with the headline "With Ogbah out, Chiefs are thin at defensive end. But Eric Fisher returns to practice."