In eight days the NFL regular season will officially be upon us, and I can't wait.
The preseason is typically not an indication of how the regular season will play out, but we've learned a lot from the last three games, and seen some devastating injuries occur around the league.
After the New England Patriots learned that standout wide receiver Julian Edelman would be out for the season with a torn ACL, news broke within the AFC West that a vital player to the Kansas City Chiefs would also miss the 2017 campaign.
Find out who will miss significant time below, and more, in this week's edition of the AFC West Update.
Denver Broncos
Throughout the offseason and training camp, the Broncos quarterback battle between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch drew in a majority of the attention surrounding the team. Siemian ended up winning the battle, but Head Coach Vance Joseph has been vocal in his belief that Lynch has a bright future with the club.
While Joseph's comment might be true, Lynch's work on the field will temporarily come to a halt, as he recovers from a sprained right shoulder (his throwing arm), which he suffered last week when he was sacked by Green Bay Packers linebacker Reggie Gilbert.
Joseph announced Monday that the second-year signal-caller would miss a few games, which now affects how the Broncos will approach their roster reduction. For the team's preseason finale, third-string quarterback Kyle Sloter will most likely play the entirety of the game to eliminate the risk of injuring Siemian.
The Broncos will host the Arizona Cardinals Thursday at Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colo.
Kansas City Chiefs
Last week, I discussed the emergence of Chiefs rookie running back Kareem Hunt, and here we are a week later with Hunt presumably being named the starter.
According to Chiefs.com, Head Coach Andy Reid confirmed that Hunt had earned his role as the starter, and while this is good news for the former University of Toledo Rocket, it comes with a grain of salt.
After former Chiefs bellcow Jamaal Charles departed for the Denver Broncos during the offseason, it was widely assumed that Spencer Ware would fill his shoes entering the 2017 season, especially because he was the team's leading rusher in 2016. Unfortunately for Ware, he won't receive that chance this season, due to the fact he suffered a torn PCL Friday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Once Ware went down, and the diagnosis of his injury was unknown, Hunt stepped in against the Seahawks and rushed nine times for 39 yards. Through his first three preseason games, Hunt has totaled 79 rushing yards on 18 carries, and four receptions for 32 yards.
The Chiefs also having running back Charcandrick West on the roster, but it seems as though this could be Hunt's backfield for the time being. Kansas City will conclude their preseason slate Thursday against the Tennessee Titans.
Los Angeles Chargers
Philip Rivers is the undisputed man under center in Los Angeles, and while No. 17's role as the starting quarterback is locked up, the backup position is still up for grabs.
Enter former Ohio State Buckeye, Cardale Jones.
Jones hasn't been on the Bolts long – he was traded to the team prior to training camp – and that's why it could be possible he's struggled during the preseason. In his three games, he's completed 18 of 37 passes for 185 yards, along with a pair of interceptions.
As Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said Tuesday, the fourth and final game of the preseason should not be taken lightly, and is an opportunity for players to either make the 53-man roster, or provide game tape for 31 other teams to evaluate.
While Jones has taken his bumps and bruises, he can right the ship Thursday against the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason finale at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
