The Pittsburgh Steelers play the Kansas City Chiefs in just over a month as they will host the defending Super Bowl champions on Christmas Day for a Netflix exclusive. The Chiefs have had some notable injuries this season, but it appears they are getting healthy down the stretch, and multiple key players should be back by the time the Steelers play them at the end of next month.
Reinforcements, well, they’re on the way to Kansas City,” said CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. “Expect Isiah Pacheco back on Black Friday against the Raiders. Pass Rusher Charles Omenihu should make his debut then, too. And there’s a possibility that we see Hollywood Brown back on the field this season as early as Christmas.”
Pacheco has only played in two games for the Chiefs this season after being their leading rusher for the last two seasons. In those two games, he had 34 attempts for 135 yards and a touchdown. He fractured his fibula in Week 2. His return will provide their offense a boost. Even though they are 9-1, the Chiefs’ offense hasn’t been performing at its usual level this season.
Omenihu tore his ACL during the AFC Championship game last year, and has yet to play in the 2024 season. It sounds like he will be making his return well before the Steelers game. In 11 games last year, Omenihu had 28 total tackles, seven sacks, 11 QB hits, two forced fumbles, and two passes defensed. Their defense has been excellent, and Omenihu will only help matters for them.
Those two players seem pretty certain to be available by the Steelers game, while Brown is more in doubt.
Their prized free agent wide receiver suffered a preseason injury to his shoulder and hasn’t played this year for the Chiefs. According to Jones, he could return as soon as Christmas day versus the Steelers, though that doesn’t sound very certain. We will see once it gets closer if they open his 21-day practice window, indicating that his return is near. He would also be a big boost to that offense, though the trade-deadline acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins has alleviated some of the need.
