NFL Rumors: Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Unlikely For Super Bowl

The Kansas City Chiefs could be without one of their most versatile weapons for Super Bowl LVIII. Head coach Andy Reid revealed Tuesday that running back Jerick McKinnon is a long shot for Sunday's showdown with the San Francisco 49ers despite returning to practice earlier this week.

Andy Reid on the possibility of Kadarius Toney's being on the field for the Super Bowl: "We'll see."

Reid also said this on Jerick McKinnon: "Jerick is not practicing. I'd tell you it's slim for him to be out there."

On Joe Thuney, too: "I think it's a long shot."
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) February 6, 2024

McKinnon has been unavailable since injuring his groin in a Week 15 27-17 win over the New England Patriots. His practice window to return from injured reserve was opened on February 3rd, but he has yet to practice.

McKinnon has been a deadly receiving option out of the backfield for the Chiefs over the past two years, totalling 704 receiving yards and an eye-popping 13 receiving touchdowns over his last 29 appearances at a highly efficient 6.8 yards per target. Shockingly, McKinnon's 15 total touchdowns trail only tight end Travis Kelce's 17 for most on the team since 2022.

Reid's update on McKinnon follows news that All-Pro guard Joe Thuney is also questionable for the Super Bowl due to a severe pec injury. Relative to their spectacular standards, the Chiefs offense struggled for much of the 2023 season, scoring 21.8 points per game (15th in the league) and totalling 28 turnovers (23rd in the league). Now, they could be down two key players in their most important game of the season.