Chiefs Get Bad News on Injury to Star Guard Trey Smith After Win: Report
Although the Kansas City Chiefs came away with a big-time Week 12 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, they didn’t do so without some injuries. The most noteworthy one was on the offensive side of the ball.
In the aftermath of the victory, head coach Andy Reid confirmed right guard Trey Smith was hurt. On Monday morning, there’s new context surrounding the ailment(s) and a potential timeline.
Unfortunately for Kansas City, it’s far from the best-case scenario.
Insider: Trey Smith Nursing Ankle Sprains Entering Week 13
Per a Monday report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Smith has a high-ankle and low-ankle sprain.
#Chiefs Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith is dealing both high- and low-ankle sprains, sources say. Smith is expected to miss some time, including likely against the #Cowboys on Thursday.
“Chiefs Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith is dealing [with] both high- and low-ankle sprains, sources say,” Rapoport’s tweet began. “Smith is expected to miss some time, including likely against the Cowboys on Thursday.”
This is undoubtedly a significant blow for the Chiefs. Smith, a fifth-year man, is the heart and soul of the team’s run blocking scheme. The former sixth-round pick was unable to finish Week 12’s 23-20 triumph, instead playing 39 snaps. That was good for 41% of those available, making him the only starting lineman to miss time in an outing where Kansas City took a staggering 96 offensive reps.
After Sunday’s win, Reid said backup guard Mike Caliendo did “a nice job” filling in for Smith. At the time, he didn’t expand on a timeline or anything of the sort. With Rapoport shedding new light on the health of Smith, it’s no surprise that he may not be able to make a quick turnaround for Thursday. As Kansas City takes on the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, it could be the Caliendo show again.
Since joining the Chiefs in 2021, Smith has played over 5,000 snaps at right guard. The Tennessee product is widely regarded as a durable piece and one of the toughest players on the team. After Sunday’s play, he’s the 11th-ranked guard in Pro Football Focus grade, which accounts for 80 players.
High-ankle sprains oftentimes take multiple weeks to recover from. That’s something to keep in mind as Smith progresses in his rehab.
Is Mike Caliendo a Suitable Replacement in Event of Smith’s Absence?
Should Smith indeed miss time, there’s a clear hierarchy in place. Caliendo is the club’s primary backup guard, followed by someone like Hunter Nourzad. Nourzad is more of a center at this stage of his young career, though. It’s always possible that 2024 seventh-round pick C.J. Hanson is elevated from the practice squad as an extra man.
Caliendo, now in his fourth season, joined the Chiefs in 2022. He was an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan at the time. Over the years, he’s appeared in 36 regular-season games, playing 529 offensive snaps and 164 special teams reps. He logged 63 combined reps on Sunday, with Nourzad cleaning up with seven (two on offense and five on special teams).
Certain metrics reflect a very solid season from Caliendo. PFF, for example, gives him a 67.0 offensive grade and a sparkling 76.8 run blocking mark. Both of those are the highest of his career. His 47.6 pass blocking grade is, too, albeit leaving plenty of room for improvement. It’s clear that Caliendo is reserve quality.
The 6-foot-4, 301-pound lineman was credited with 4 pressures in Week 12. Considering he didn’t even play a full game, that’s troublesome. With that said, perhaps a full week of practice with starters could leave Caliendo better prepared to face the Cowboys’ front.
It doesn’t hurt to have experience and familiarity along the offensive line. Now past the trade deadline and not sitting too high on the waiver wire order, the Chiefs may have to roll with the backups they have. In the meantime, Smith will attempt to get back to near-full strength for a playoff push.
Seahawks Prove They’re Living Rent-Free in an NFL Rival’s Head
Reid called the Saints’ 2025 season mostly “self-inflicted,” then made one big exception: the trip to Seattle. He said he doesn’t think there’s been any other game, outside of the Seahawks matchup, where it felt like the opponent was “just straight up better” than New Orleans. He used his postgame press conference to drop the illuminating comments.
That’s high praise for a team that already hung a 44-13 beating on the Saints back in Week 3 at Lumen Field
Justin Reid Puts Seahawks in Their Own Category
Reid spent most of his Falcons postgame talking about how New Orleans keeps beating itself.
He called the biggest plays “all self-inflicted,” pointed to botched snaps and exchanges on offense, and repeated that the NFL usually comes down to execution and who makes fewer mistakes. Then he drew a clear line.
Outside of the Seahawks, Reid said he doesn’t feel like any team has simply been better than the Saints. Seattle was the lone exception, the one game where it didn’t
That’s coming from a veteran safety who’s faced both the NFC West leaders and plenty of fellow also-rans on a 2-9 New Orleans team. The comments carry special weight when you analyze the Saints’ schedule. New Orleans have faced playoff-likely teams in San Francisco, Buffalo, New England, Chicago, Tampa, and even the Los Angeles Rams.
According to Reid, Seattle is the cream of that crop.
For Seattle, it’s another data point that opponents aren’t just losing to them, they’re measuring themselves against them.
Seahawks Already Crushed Saints 44-13 in September
Reid’s comment hits harder when you remember what actually happened in that Week 3 game.
Seattle destroyed New Orleans 44-13, jumping out to a three-touchdown lead in the first five minutes. Special teams and defense did a lot of the early damage: an unnecessary roughness flag extended a drive for a touchdown, then came a 95-yard punt return TD by rookie Tory Horton and a blocked punt that set up another quick score.
Sam Darnold barely had to break a sweat. He went 14-of-18 for 218 yards and two touchdowns, posting a 154.2 passer rating and earning a FedEx Air Player of the Week nomination after one of the most efficient games of his career.
Field Gulls summed it up as the kind of blowout that didn’t feel real: by early in the second quarter, Darnold was hitting Horton for another score to make it 28-3 and Lumen Field was in full party mode.
So when Reid circles that game as the one time the Saints were just flat-out outclassed, he’s basically confirming what the scoreboard already screamed: Seattle wasn’t a victim of New Orleans’ sloppiness that day. They were the problem.
What It Says About the Seahawks’ 2025 Rise
Reid’s honesty fits with the way the Seahawks’ season is trending.
Through Week 12, Seattle is 8-3, sitting second in the NFC West and fifth in the NFC playoff picture. They’re averaging 29.5 points per game, third in the league, with Darnold steering a top-tier offense and Jaxon Smith-Njigba already past 1,000 yards.
They’ve also added more firepower since that Saints game, swinging a trade for New Orleans speedster Rashid Shaheed before the deadline, a move that only tightens the link between these franchises.
Meanwhile, Reid and the Saints keep talking about “self-inflicted wounds” and “little details” after close losses. Seattle? They’re the team New Orleans can’t chalk up to bad luck or a missed assignment.
When a proud, veteran safety looks back at a rough season and puts one opponent in its own category, that’s not nothing. It’s a reminder that Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks are no longer just an annoying matchup; they’re the bar some teams are using to judge themselves.
For now, they’re also living rent-free in at least one rival’s head.
