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Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor and RG Trey Smith are both hurting in Week 14.

Going into the final stretch of the season, no team is fully healthy. That’s especially true for the Kansas City Chiefs, who have been hit by the war of attrition big-time.

Prior to Week 14’s outing against the Houston Texans, several players are banged up. The right side of the offensive line, particularly, is in jeopardy. With guard Trey Smith and tackle Jawaan Taylor nursing injuries, Kansas City has their work cut out for them.

Things aren’t getting any easier on that front. Neither Smith nor Taylor was spotted at practice on Friday. Regarding playing decisions, Andy Reid-coached teams commonly like to see at least limited work in the final day of practice.

Speaking to the media on Friday afternoon, Reid provided an update on his team’s health.

Andy Reid Issues Final Injury Updates on Trey Smith & Jawaan Taylor

It’s no surprise that Reid isn’t high on his standout linemen being available on Sunday. Smith may once again be replaced by Mike Caliendo, whereas Taylor’s possible absence would spark a pivot to Jaylon Moore at right tackle and Wanya Morris on the left side.

“As far as the injuries go, [Chris] Roland-Wallace will end up being listed as out,” Reid began. “We’re just waiting to see on the days here with Trey Smith and Jawaan Taylor. But they are making progress, which is a positive.”

Reid admitted that Smith has a better chance to do the improbable than Taylor. In the same breath, he doubled down on the odds being stacked against both.

“I mean, it’s been done before,” Reid said. “Listen, I think it’d be a stretch for them to get there. If the other guys play, they play. We have trust in everybody there.”

Smith, the Chiefs’ sixth-round pick in 2021, suffered low- and high-ankle sprains in Week 12’s win over the Indianapolis Colts. After playing 39 snaps, he exited the game. He then missed Week 13’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s the No. 20-graded guard out of 79 players.

Taylor, meanwhile, got hurt in the aforementioned Cowboys game. He played just 32 snaps on that Thursday evening, good for 48.5% of those available. The seventh-year man is battling through a triceps ailment, and even a long week of rest gave him a serious uphill battle to play. PFF grades him 44th among all tackles in pass blocking.

Add in rookie left tackle Josh Simmons being on injured reserve following surgery to repair a wrist injury, and that paints a bleak picture for the Chiefs’ front five. Potentially for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, too.

UPDATE: Per the Chiefs, Smith and Taylor are doubtful for Sunday. Roland-Wallace and wide receiver Nikko Remigio (shoulder) are officially out.

Patrick Mahomes May Need Heroic Effort to Deliver Week 14 Win

For Chiefs fans, this situation may feel similar to Super Bowl LV. In that game, Mahomes put up a tremendous effort but had a severely outmanned offensive line. Consequently, Kansas City mustered all of 9 points in a 22-point defeat by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Considering the importance of this contest and the opponent on the other side, this is a brutal situation to be in. Houston’s defense is elite, ranking first in EPA/play and EPA/pass allowed. It’s also second in passing success rate and series conversion rate. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has his crew firing on all cylinders. The Texans have rattled off four wins in a row and triumphed in five of their last six.

Of course, Mahomes will be asked to succeed with his arm. The two-time NFL MVP is coming off a 261-yard, 4-touchdown outing against the Cowboys. Something he got back to in the last two games, however, is scrambling. He has 30 rushing yards in consecutive weeks and is averaging a career-high 29 yards per game on the ground.

Mahomes himself admitted this week that his dual-threat abilities may be put to the test.

“You’re going to have to utilize them, utilize everything,” Mahomes said. “Not just my legs, you have to utilize everything you have to go out there and win. This is a really good football team that’s playing really good football right now and has a really good defense. We’re going to have to throw it all out there and find a way to win. This will be a big game for us to showcase who we are and who we think we can be moving on the rest of the season.”

At 6-6 on the year, the Chiefs need whatever Mahomes can offer them.

Jordan Foote is a seasoned sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with an emphasis on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has years of experience publishing NFL and MLB content for Sports Illustrated’s On SI vertical, in addition to a background in NBA coverage for multiple outlets. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media. He’s based in Kansas City. More about Jordan Foote

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