Andy Reid explains exactly which Chiefs will sit in Week 18

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Andy Reid is choosing the more conservative route for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.

With nothing to lose or gain from that encounter, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ head coach isn’t taking any chances with numerous vital contributors.

At the start of the week, we found out that Patrick Mahomes would not play as Blaine Gabbert prepares to start for the first time with KC.

Mahomes, the reigning league MVP isn’t the only one who won’t be suiting up for the Chiefs on Sunday.

Joining Mahomes on the sidelines this weekend will be Rashee Rice, L’Jarius Sneed, Kadarius Toney, and Donovan Smith, all of whom are officially out.

There might be more, as Isiah Pacheco, Nick Bolton, Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis and Mike Danna are all questionable.

Team Comes First

It shouldn’t come as a big surprise to see Reid benching numerous key players, though there are added incentives for some.

Rashee Rice came into this week needing 58 yards through the air to beat the single-season Chiefs rookie record of 995 yards receiving held by Dwayne Bowe in 2007.

That record is safe for another season, while Rice also won’t get a shot at 1,000 receiving yards.

To be fair to Reid, though, Rice isn’t just sitting to get some rest, but he is dealing with a hamstring strain, according to the Chiefs website.

Toney has an ankle sprain, Sneed is dealing with a sore calf, and Smith has a neck injury.

Reid realizes the value of those players come playoff time and giving them an extra week to rest those aches and pains is a lot smarter than seeing them potentially re-aggravate an injury.

There are still a couple of other players on the injured list, though, whose status is uncertain for Sunday.

Will Kelce and Jones Play?

Andy Reid answered many questions about who will be on the field Sunday, but there are other uncertainties heading into the weekend.

Like Rice, Travis Kelce is closing in on a 1,000-yard season, 16 yards away from reaching that milestone for an eighth straight season.

Kelce’s been limited at practice this week because of a neck injury, and it’s unclear whether or not he’ll feature on Sunday.

Chris Jones is another question mark in this encounter, with the former All-Pro D-lineman dealing with a groin injury.

He didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday while seeing limited time on the field Friday.

Jones also has a reason to play Sunday, needing a half sack to reach double-digits for the season and a $1.25 million bonus.

Perhaps their injuries aren’t as significant as the others, but if Jones and Kelce play, it’ll leave some to wonder if Reid is playing favourites.

Personally, I’d find that hard to believe, given Reid’s track record as a head coach, but that’s a question he might have to be ready to answer.

In his over 20-year head coaching career, few have questioned Reid’s coaching or how he treats his players, as his resume for producing successful players and coaches speaks for itself.