KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill suffered a dislocated shoulder joint in the team's game against the Jacksonville Jaguar that required treatment at a trauma center in Jacksonville, according to the team's head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder.
The dislocation involved sternoclavicular joint, where the collarbone comes into the sternum. These most commonly take place in the front of the sternum.
“If it goes posteriorly, or back, it becomes a medial issue for us so that we worry that there's more problems,” Burkholder said. “His came back posteriorly and he didn't have any medical issues, but we still transported him to Baptist Medical Center and we turned his care over to Brett Frykberg, who's an ortho trauma physician.”
Hill remains under the treatment of Dr. Frykberg along with Dr. Scott Mullen, who is a one of the Chiefs' team physicians from the University of Kansas Health System. They were continue to treat Hill to reduce the dislocation, which involves fixes the bones back into correct position.
The injury took place with 3:23 left in the first quarter when quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with Hill for 8-yard gain to the Jaguars' 49-yard line. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey took Hill to the ground hard, and Hill immediately went to the bench in apparent pain.
Head coach Andy Reid didn't like the hit Ramsey delivered to Hill on the play.
“I hate seeing it happen the way it did,” Reid told the Chiefs Radio Network. “I'm not sure that was the cleanest of plays. It's competitive out there. And he knew right away, we got him over to the hospital where he needed to have that checked.”
The loss of Hill didn't slow the Chiefs offense. Receiver Sammy Watkins delivered career highs with 198 receiving yards and three touchdowns while tight end Travis Kelce caught three passes for 88 yards
“Guys played hard,” Reid said. “Mecole (Hardman) stepped in and did his thing. (Demarcus Robinson) should have had a touchdown right there, got his hands pulled down, but he had an opportunity to score. Kelce had his go there. They tried to play a little man on him and he did well.”
Burkholder said the NFL's emergency action plans for such injuries added greatly in the treatment of Hill.
“This is a good time to realize that the National Football League under Jeff Miller and Alan Sills go to great lengths to put in place emergency medical or emergency action plans for stadiums like this. Because the Jaguars had a plan and we followed their plan, he was able to get care without any complication, got transported and is under the care of ortho trauma physician now.”
Reid wasn't sure if Hill would return to Kansas City with club Sunday evening or remain in Jacksonville for further treatment.
“We'll see,” Reid said. “They're checking on him right now, so we'll see.
The Chiefs don't expect a further update on Hill for another day or two.
