Chiefs activate TE Jody Fortson from IR for AFC title game

The Kansas City Chiefs activated tight finish Jody Fortson from injured reserve and elevated broad receivers Marcus Kemp and Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the apply squad for Sunday evening’s AFC title game towards the Cincinnati Bengals.

The transfer to activate Fortson on Saturday was extensively anticipated after the large, rangy red-zone menace confirmed no lingering issues from his elbow damage in apply this week. Fortson has not performed since Dec. 18 towards the Houston Texans.

He stuffed a roster spot that was already accessible after the Chiefs waived cornerback Chris Lammons.

The choice to raise Kemp and Smith-Marsette offers the Chiefs some insurance coverage at broad receiver. Justin Watson was questionable on the ultimate damage report due to an sickness, whereas speedster Mecole Hardman has been coping with a pelvis damage that landed him on IR and has stored him out of the lineup since Nov. 6 towards the Tennessee Titans.

Asked whether or not Hardman might play this week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid replied: “Listen, he’s labored his tail off. I feel he’s feeling higher than what he was positively final week, so we’ll see how he does.”

The Chiefs didn’t activate Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who like Fortson has been designated to return from IR and has spent the previous couple of weeks at apply. The working again has not performed since Nov. 20, and even then had been ceding time to seventh-round decide Isiah Pacheco, who will begin his thirteenth consecutive game towards Cincinnati.

Pacheco ran 12 instances for 95 yards within the Chiefs’ 27-20 win over Jacksonville final week.

Kansas City is internet hosting the AFC title game for the fifth straight time, and it’s a rematch of final 12 months’s championship game, when Patrick Mahomes and Co. blew an early 21-3 lead in a 27-24 time beyond regulation loss to the Bengals.

Mahomes practiced absolutely this week after spraining his proper ankle towards the Jaguars. He carried no damage designation on Friday’s ultimate report, although, and the Chiefs anticipate Mahomes to start out as ordinary.

“I feel progressively I’ve gotten higher all through the week, and I’m simply going to attempt to maintain doing that,” he mentioned. “Keep that very same mentality and push it, however then on the identical time be able to go each time the game comes up.”

Reporting by Associated Press.

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