Aug 17, 2014; Charlotte, NC; Chiefs linebacker Joe Mays (53) sacks Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) at Bank of America Stadium. Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chiefs inside linebacker Joe Mays is scheduled for wrist surgery, a source confirms with ChiefsSpin.com.
There is no word on a recovery timetable, according to the source.
The 29-year-old Mays suffered the injury in the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers and didn’t practice this week.
Mays, who enters his seventh season, totaled four tackles and two sacks through two preseason games.
The Chiefs signed Mays to a two-year contract in March as a potential replacement for last year’s starter Akeem Jordan, whom the Chiefs didn’t re-sign as a free agent.
Mays spent organized team activities (OTAs), minicamp and training camp with the first-team defense at left inside linebacker and projects as the starter.
The Chiefs currently list Josh Mauga second and Nico Johnson, last season’s fourth-round pick, third at the position.
Mauga, whom the Chiefs signed a day before training camp started, saw time with the first-team defense during camp when the Chiefs rested Mays with a sore knee. But Mauga suffered a groin injury on Aug. 11 and did not play in the second preseason game.
While Mauga recently returned to practice, Johnson has worked alongside right inside linebacker Derrick Johnson with the first-team defense in recent practices.
The Chiefs also have James-Michael Johnson and Alonzo Highsmith as backups at the right inside linebacker position.
ESPN’s Adam Caplan was the first to report Mays’ surgery on Twitter.
Local Chiefs reporters Terez Paylor of The Kansas City Star and Joel Thorman of ArrowheadPride.com also independently confirmed Caplan’s report.
The Chiefs haven’t commented on Mays’ surgery.
