KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Reports over the weekend suggesting Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles might return for the postseason received a skeptical response from coach Andy Reid Monday.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles breaks a run against the Oakland Raiders Oct. 16, 2016 at the Oakland Coliseum. (Photo courtesy Chiefs PR, Chiefs.com).
“I don’t know that,” Reid said. He indicated the All-Pro running back remained under the care of orthopedic surgeon James Andrews at his clinic in Birmingham, Ala.
“They’re working on getting the swelling out of his knees, or out of his one knee in particular,” Reid said. “We’ll see how all of this works down the road.”
Charles sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in October 2015. He joined the team’s training camp Aug. 16, but did not see his first game action until week four against Pittsburgh on Oct. 2.
The running back played sparingly over three games, rushing 12 times for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Charles complained of pain in both knees during his comeback. Andrews performed a meniscus trim during exploratory surgery on the right knee of Charles Nov. 2. The surgeon performed a second exploratory surgery, this time on the left knee, on Nov. 14.
“He’s had his right knee scoped, now he’s had his left knee scoped,” the team’s head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said after the second procedure. “The rehab’s the same. We anticipate recovery will be fine. We’ll just see how it goes.”
The team placed Charles on injured reserve Nov. 1. The earliest the team could designate Charles to return to practice from injured reserve is Dec. 14. Players cannot return to the active roster until after two weeks of practice.
That means the earliest Charles could return to the team would be the season finale against the San Diego.
But that’s only if the Chiefs determine Charles can withstand the rigors of the NFL postseason. Reid did not think the decision would necessarily be made this week.
“That decision will be made down the road,” Reid said.
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Matt Derrick is the lead beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com and the Topeka Capital-Journal. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @MattDerrick.
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