Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs left Saturday’s NFL preseason opener at Arrowhead Stadium with more than one loss on the field. Besides the obvious 12-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on the back of multiple penalties in the second half and Rams QB Ty Simpson’s heroics, the Chiefs were forced to sideline reserve offensive tackle Chu Godrick with an injury.

Godrick sustained an ankle injury in the fourth quarter when they were down 20-9. The Chiefs posted a mid-game update on X, noting that Godrick’s return would be questionable. In the post-game press conference, which was live-streamed by KCC on YouTube, coach Andy Reid shed more light on Godrick’s injury.

“As far as the injuries go, really it was just Chu Godrick had a ankle sprain,” said Reid. “So other than that, there were no other injuries.”

Depending on the severity of the injury, sprained ankles can take anywhere from a week to several months to heal, per Harvard Health. The timeline for Godrick’s recovery should become clear as the preseason progresses. But it is important to note that the 25-year-old Nigerian has no history of serious injuries. However, he has previously sustained an ankle injury during practice in July 2024, which required him to leave the session midway.

Temporarily losing Godrick to the ankle injury would hurt the Chiefs’ depth at OT. Godrick, who began his sports career in basketball before switching to football and joining the Chiefs through the International Player Pathway (IPP) Program, had become a key part of the roster. He made his NFL debut last season, replacing an injured Jaylen Moore, and in four games, impressed Reid enough to be signed to the active roster in December.

But besides Godrick, per Charles Goldman of AtoZsports, there were a couple more injury scares for the Chiefs on Saturday. QB Garrett Nussmeier limped after a 13-yard sack but shrugged it off to continue playing. Jadon Canady also had a scare after a collision, which required him to get a concussion evaluation mid-game. He later exited the medical tent with his helmet on, meaning he likely cleared the concussion protocol.

But the bright side? That was it on the injury front for the Chiefs. Reid was impressed that the entire squad was unbothered by the Missouri heat, and no players even complained of cramps. In fact, he saw their physical performance as a plus in an otherwise lackluster effort.

“Yeah, I thought they did a good job,” Reid said in the press conference. “We didn’t have any cramps or any of that, so that was a positive. Went through a lot of liquids, but we started, you know, with the camp that we’ve been in. We’ve been starting every day with making sure they were hydrated, and we just continued it into the game. So, I think the hard work that the guys have done, it paid off for them as far as their stamina during the game.”

However, the spotlight wasn’t shining on the Chiefs in front of their home crowd. The Rams were clearly the better team on the day.

Rookie QB Ty Simpson overpowers the Chiefs

Rookie Rams QB Ty Simpson was the star of their preseason opener on Saturday. He came in the second quarter to replace Stetson Bennett IV, who completed four of six passes for 38 yards, and took over emphatically. He completed 21 of 25 passes and, per ESPN Insights, became the first player since Baker Mayfield in 2018 to record 190 passing yards and two touchdowns on his preseason debut.

Post-game, Simpson stayed humble in his interview. While speaking with Sports Central LA’s Darren M. Haynes, he said,

“I’ve got a lot to learn, a lot of learning ops in that game right there, and hopefully I’m going to keep growing. I’m not looking for perfection, I’m looking for progress.”

On the Chiefs’ side, Garrett Nussmeier impressed with quick passes on the move. He completed 13 of 19 passes for 98 yards, but he was sacked twice. Andy Reid acknowledged that Nussmeier did a “good job,” but had some areas for improvement that he would address later.

But an outright positive for Reid was rookie running back Emmett Johnson’s performance. He led the team in rushing with 13 carries for 59 yards.

“He did a nice job with it and ran hard and aggressive, had some yards after contact there, which is a big thing,” Reid said of Johnson post-game. “So, he was one of the positives coming out of this. I thought he did a nice job.”

With star QB Patrick Mahomes still recovering from a knee injury from last season and Chu Godrick also injured, the Chiefs will need to steer clear of further sidelining of players. They will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Saturday at Raymond James Stadium, while the Rams will head back home to play the New Orleans Saints.