We’ve made it to Week 3 of the NFL regular season and Sunday Night Football. This week, the Atlanta Falcons are back in prime time, hosting the Kansas City Chiefs.
Each team will be mostly healthy, but there have already been some injuries, plus the usual inactives. Here’s a look at the inactive list and likely starters for tonight’s standalone game.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Atlanta Falcons Inactives
Chiefs Designated as Out
- OT Ethan Driskell
- OG C.J. Hanson
- DE Cameron Thomas
- DT Marlon Tuipulotu
Falcons Designated as Out
- DT Brandon Dorlus
- OG Jovaughn Gwyn
- RB Jase McClellan
- DT Ruke Orhorhoro
- OT Brandon Parker
Latest Injury Report News and Updates
The biggest piece of injury news between these two teams has been the status of Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco. Suffering a broken fibula in the team’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, Pacheco was placed on injured reserve and will be out for at least four games.
Pacheco underwent successful surgery to repair the injury, starting his road to recovery. Doctors emphasized that it’s not just a physical recovery but also a mental one. In his absence, Kansas City signed RB Kareem Hunt to give the team depth.
Outside of Pacheco, though, the Chiefs also have come to the realization that WR Hollywood Brown will likely miss the entire season with an injury he suffered during the preseason. Besides those two, the Chiefs are mostly healthy.
On the Falcons’ side, DTs Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata both did not practice throughout the week, putting their statuses in doubt. Additionally, OT Jake Matthews was a limited participant, putting his status in question as well, though not as much as the others. Aside from that, Atlanta is also pretty healthy across the board.
Who Comprises the Projected Starting Lineup for Each Team?
Chiefs Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Chiefs depth chart.Â
- Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes
- Running Back: Samaje Perine
- Wide Receiver: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Tight End: Travis Kelce
- Left Offensive Tackle: Kingsley Suamataia
- Left Offensive Guard: Joe Thuney
- Center: Creed Humphrey
- Right Offensive Guard: Trey Smith
- Right Offensive Tackle: Jawaan Taylor
- Left Defensive End: George Karlaftis
- Left Defensive Tackle: Chris Jones
- Right Defensive Tackle: Derrick Nnadi
- Right Defensive End:Â Mike Danna
- Strongside Linebacker:Â Drue Tranquill
- Middle Linebacker:Â Nick Bolton
- Weakside Linebacker:Â Leo Chenal
- Left Cornerback:Â Trent McDuffie
- Right Cornerback:Â Jaylen Watson
- Free Safety:Â Bryan Cook
- Strong Safety:Â Justin Reid
- Kicker:Â Harrison Butker
- Punter:Â Matt Araiza
- Long Snapper:Â James Winchester
- Kickoff Returner:Â Mecole Hardman
- Punt Returner:Â Xavier Worthy
Falcons Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Falcons depth chart.Â
- Quarterback:Â Kirk Cousins
- Running Back:Â Bijan Robinson
- Wide Receiver:Â Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud III
- Tight End:Â Kyle Pitts
- Left Offensive Tackle:Â Jake Matthews
- Left Offensive Guard:Â Matthew Bergeron
- Center:Â Drew Dalman
- Right Offensive Guard:Â Chris Lindstrom
- Right Offensive Tackle:Â Kaleb McGary
- Defensive End:Â David Onyemata
- Defensive Tackle:Â Grady Jarrett
- Nose Tackle: Eddie Goldman
- Left Outside Linebacker:Â Matthew Judon
- Left Inside Linebacker:Â Troy Andersen
- Right Inside Linebacker:Â Kaden Elliss
- Right Outside Linebacker:Â Lorenzo Carter
- Left Cornerback:Â Mike Hughes
- Right Cornerback:Â A.J. Terrell Jr.
- Free Safety:Â Jessie Bates III
- Strong Safety:Â Justin Simmons
- Punter:Â Bradley Pinion
- Kicker:Â Younghoe Koo
- Long Snapper:Â Liam McCullough
- Kickoff Returner:Â Ray-Ray McCloud III
- Punt Returner:Â Avery Williams
