ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones, starting wide receiver Mecole Hardman and backup running back Jerick McKinnon left training camp early Wednesday as nagging injuries continued to mount for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jones left after about 10 minutes with a sore back while Hardman, who is being counted upon to help overcome the loss of Tyreek Hill, hurt his groin while going up for a catch in the end zone. McKinnon left with a hamstring injury.
They were joined on the sideline by wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who missed his second practice with a sore knee.
It’s unclear how long any of the players will be out, but all are crucial to the Chiefs as they pursue a fifth straight trip to the AFC title game. Jones is particularly important given the fact that he’s coming off a season in which he had nine sacks in 14 regular-season games for a team that otherwise finished third-from-last in the NFL in total sacks.
The Chiefs have their final training camp practice at Missouri Western State University on Thursday, then play their second preseason game against Washington on Saturday. They resume camp at their own practice facility next week.