The Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) will defend their first-place hold on the AFC West against the Denver Broncos (5-2) this Sunday, but they will do so without their prized rookie, and a two-time Super Bowl champion. Mansoor Delane has been ruled out with a shoulder injury, and fellow cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is going on injured reserve with a lingering knee issue, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Denver’s offense has been among the worst in the NFL this season, averaging just 270 total yards per game, but quarterback Bo Nix may now have matchups to exploit versus KC’s secondary.
The Chiefs revamped their entire CB room, trading up to land Delane with the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL Draft and reuniting with Sneed after spending two years apart. Despite running into some trouble against superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7, Kansas City has managed to stay around the middle of the pack in passing yards allowed (223.8).
The team and fan base can only ask so much from Sneed, who is approaching his 30th birthday and is frequently enduring injury problems. This unit’s long-term strength will rest on the arms and legs of Mansoor Delane. The former LSU star recorded an interception on Nix in the season opener and is a capable coverage corner. With more snaps, he should blossom into an undeniable game-changer.
This latest setback will delay his rise, however. All-time great defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will do his best to fill in the Chiefs’ holes at corner in Denver. The four-time champ now knows that L’Jarius Sneed will be out for at least a month, so perhaps he will experiment with some new concepts in the near future.
KC may not want to get too bold versus the Broncos, though. A challenging afternoon in the Mile High awaits.
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