Chiefs’ JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kadarius Toney return to practice ahead of Super Bowl LVII
The Chiefs returned to practice on Tuesday afternoon ahead of Sunday’s showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
And after leaving the AFC Championship Game a little banged up, the Chiefs are apparently on track to field a healthy team.
“We’re all doing well here,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
Reid’s statement is a good sign for multiple players, including cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (concussion), linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (shoulder) and wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hamstring).
Sneed, Smith-Schuster and Toney did not practice last week. The Chiefs used the bye week between the conference-title game and the Super Bowl to practice before traveling for Arizona.
But the Chiefs’ head coach was optimistic about Smith-Schuster’s and Toney’s continued progress, especially after the team put on pads Monday.
“They practiced yesterday; they’ll go again today (Tuesday),” Reid said. “They look good. We’ll see how it goes the rest of the week. Today (Tuesday) will be an easy day. We’ve got three days which will be a little tougher and we’ll see where they’re at.”
As for Sneed, Reid confirmed the starting cornerback is out of the league’s concussion protocol. Sneed revealed that news during Monday’s Opening Night festivities.
“He’s out of the protocol now,” Reid said. “He’s doing well.”
The Chiefs also welcomed running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire after activating him from the reserve/injured list. The third-year rusher was the corresponding roster move when the Chiefs placed wide receiver Mecole Hardman on injured reserve.
Whether Edwards-Helaire will play against the Eagles on Sunday in Glendale, Ariz., remains to be seen, as the Chiefs have depth at the position already with rookie Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon and Ronald Jones.
“We’ll practice him this week and just see where we’re at,” Reid said of Edwards-Helaire. “Jones has done a good job for us, too, so we’ll just see how that all works out. But it’s good to have him back, for sure.”
The Chiefs will practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before Sunday’s game. The team will be required to issue a practice report, which will designate participation levels.
