KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have ruled Kenneth Walker out of Sunday's game in Atlanta because of a groin injury, leaving them with rookie running back Emmett Johnson, ailing youngster Jaydn Ott and journeyman Nate Carter against Bijan Robinson and the Falcons.
The Chiefs made the announcement Saturday, one day after listing Walker as questionable on their injury report. He had tweaked his groin in practice on Thursday, and coach Andy Reid said the team would be monitoring his progress over the next couple of days.
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The Chiefs were flying to Atlanta on Saturday, and they did not expect any changes to their flight plan following the Federal Aviation Administration’s ground stoppage a day earlier. Defensive tackle Chris Jones was not traveling with the team for personal reasons, but the Chiefs said he would join the team in Atlanta and he carried no game designation.
Walker is the league's second-leading rusher with 872 yards, trailing Robinson by just eight, though he's also played one fewer game than his Falcons counterpart. Walker also has caught 22 passes for 172 yards and four touchdowns.
Johnson has played well when given a chance this season, though. The overlooked fifth-round pick out of Nebraska has run 26 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, and he's caught 14 passes for 237 yards and another score.
“He’s going to play anyway, whether Ken’s there or not,” Reid said Friday. “Everybody has confidence in him.”
The bigger problem for the Chiefs is the lack of options behind Johnson on the depth chart. Brashard Smith went on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Oct. 24, and Ott — who carried three times for 19 yards in mop-up duty in last week's blowout of the Jets — has been dealing with a sore hamstring of his own, leaving him questionable for Sunday's game in Atlanta.
The Chiefs elevated Carter and wide receiver Jacob De Jesus from the practice squad Saturday.
Carter spent last season with Atlanta, appearing in seven games and carrying nine times for 60 yards. He was waived by the Falcons as part of their final roster cuts, and Kansas City signed him to its practice squad a couple days later.
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