The Kansas City Chiefs are still recovering from the news that top corner back Sean Smith will be suspended for the first three games of the 2015 NFL Season due to a DUI, and now the team finds out that defensive tackle Dontari Poe could miss time due to surgery on a herniated disk in his back. “You just have to see and see how he recovers there, but it’s a positive thing and it’s something that he needed to get done as opposed to having that other deal antagonizing throughout the season”. “I think he stands a reasonable chance [to return] the early part of the season”, Reid said.
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Poe injured his back during an offseason practice in the spring.
Head Coach Andy Reid also spoke with the media today regarding Poe’s situation, but was quick to point out the team’s strong depth at the position.
The team does not expect Poe to return until camp breaks – at the earliest – which occurs shortly before the Chiefs’ second preseason game scheduled for August 21 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Reid also noted that DeVito and sixth-round rookie Rakeem Nunez-Roches earned snaps in Poe’s spot during OTAs. We will see how much longer the injury takes him out.
In the interim, Jaye Howard is slated to assume Poe’s duties, per Paylor. That was back on the 2nd of June.
Poe suffered from back spasms during the Chiefs’ organized team activities in June, for which he underwent two epidural injections. We got him a second epidural injection right on the 19th of June right before he left. At that time it was determined he had a herniated disc in his back. He hurt his back on the 8th the second time that he hurt it. He had a successful surgery, microdiscectomy, he had that disk removed.
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“He’s not doing a whole lot of rehab or treatment”, Burkholder said. With trips to Houston and Green Bay sandwiched around a visit from the Broncos in the first three weeks, the Chiefs will need everyone on defense to step up to avoid a rough start to the season in the event Poe can’t go.
