Dwayne Bowe has a concussion, don’t count on him playing
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) catches a pass before the start of the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs have already stated their desire to rest their starters for this week’s game against the San Diego Chargers, as the game is mostly meaningless. While it would be a nice feeling for the Chiefs to squash the Chargers playoff hopes and get revenge for the Chargers last-gasp win in their meeting earlier this year, it’s simply not worth risking an injury to a player like, say, Jamaal Charles. Week 17 injuries do happen to playoff teams, and New England Patriots fans remember Wes Welker’s Week 17 ACL tear very well.
According to the Kansas City Star’s Terez A. Paylor, No. 1 wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is listed on the Chiefs injury report with a concussion, and it is unclear as to when Bowe suffered the injury. Some have speculated that Bowe was concussed during practice this week, but Paylor tweeted to one of his followers that he agrees that it “sure seems like” Bowe suffered the injury on a crushing hit from Indianapolis Colts hulking safety LaRon Landry last week.
It’s safe to say that Bowe will miss Sunday’s game against the Chargers, because he is now in the league’s concussion protocol and might not be healthy enough to play anyway. Plus, the Chiefs aren’t going to throw Bowe into the fire when they want to rest players, since they are guaranteed to have the No. 5 seed no matter what. He’s not going to be out there in Week 17, and the Chiefs will be hoping that his recovery goes smoothly and that he’ll be ready for the playoffs. There’s no reason to play him, especially since he might not be healthy enough to play.
Dwayne Bowe has hauled in 57 receptions for 673 yards and five touchdowns this season, and he and Charles are the only reliable targets in the Chiefs passing attack.