Super Bowl 57 will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona on February 12th. That gives each team roughly two weeks to rest, recover and prepare for the game of a lifetime. Both teams are going into the Super Bowl with injuries affecting some big-name players. Let’s jump into the first 2023 Super Bowl Injury Report.
Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report
The Chiefs officially return to practice on Wednesday. Mahomes looked pretty good, and Kelce was able to play through back spasms that had him questionable prior to the AFC Championship game. Let’s go over some of the injuries that occurred in the AFC Championship game.
Patrick Mahomes
Pat Mahomes played through a pretty severe ankle sprain last week. Despite this, he was able to complete 67% of his passes while turning the ball over just once. He has two weeks to rest and recuperate before the Super Bowl, so don’t be surprised if you see him as DNP on the Chief’s injury report. But unless he injures it further in practice, he will definitely be the starter for Super Bowl Sunday.
Travis Kelce
According to Fox Sports reporter Jay Glazer, Travis Kelce’s back locked up on him during practice on the Friday before the AFC Championship game. He received anti-inflammatory treatments on Friday and Saturday and was ultimately able to not only play on Sunday, but gain 78 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs will continue to work on his back to ensure that he is healthy for the Super Bowl, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t put in too many practices to prevent the injury from resurfacing.
Mecole Hardman
Mecole Hardman was finally able to play in the AFC Championship game after being out since Week 9. Unfortunately, he aggravated his pelvic injury in just 15 snaps. He also has two weeks to recover, so we will see if he makes it to the Super Bowl. If he can’t play, the Chiefs will be in some heat considering Kadarius Toney and Juju Smith-Schuster were also injured last week.
Kadarius Toney
Kadarius Toney left the AFC Championship game with an ankle injury. As of Tuesday, there is no update on the severity of the injury, so it is up in the air if he will be able to play on February 12th.
Juju Smith-Schuster
Juju Smith-Schuster had just seven yards before having to exit the game for good with a knee injury. According to James Palmer, Smith-Schuster could barely get up the stairs after the game. This is not good news for the 26-year-old wideout. We will know more when more information is made available by the Chiefs.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL Injury Report stories via Google! Follow Us
L’Jarius Snead
L’Jarius Snead appeared to hit his helmet off of a Bengals player’s knee in the first quarter of the AFC Championship. He was ruled out with a concussion. Snead will have to clear the five-step concussion protocol and be medically cleared by a team doctor and an independent neurological consultant before he can return to play. The Chief’s medical staff will continue to monitor him, and there is really no way to know right now if he will be recovered enough to play in two weeks.
Willie Gay Jr.
According to Jeremy Fowler, Willie Gay Jr. is optimistic about playing in the Super Bowl. He injured his shoulder last week and was questionable. He has recorded 88 tackles this season, and having him healthy would be huge for the Chief’s defense.
Philadelphia Eagles Injury Report
Philadelphia had no trouble against the injured San Francisco 49ers, and they were able to beat them 31-7. Dickerson was injured, calling for Andre Dillard to step up, and Lane Johnson is playing through an injury that will eventually require surgery.
Jalen Hurts
Hurts’s shoulder will remain in question up until the Super Bowl. He suffered a shoulder injury against the Bears and has been nursing the injury since. It didn’t seem to stop him in the NFC Championship game where he actually made NFL history by becoming the only quarterback to rush for 15 touchdowns in a single season.
Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson re-tore the adductor muscle in his groin after spending five weeks rehabilitating the injury. He played through the injury with the help of a numbing shot prior to the game, and helped the offensive line allow no quarterback hits or sacks. He is planning on playing through the injury again in his second-career Super Bowl, and will have surgery to repair the tear in the post-season.
Landon Dickerson
Landon Dickerson was spotted wearing an elbow brace after exiting the game late with an apparent arm injury. He bypassed the medical tent and went straight into the training room. Medical professional David J. Chao is putting out his prediction that Dickerson should be able to play in the Super Bowl. His MRI came back negative, which is great news.
Stay up to date on all of the latest NFL Injury Report news here!
