After hours of waiting, the Kansas City Chiefs finally announced their initial 53-man roster on the evening of August 26, and there were a few shockers involved.
One of the more unexpected turns of events was cornerback Nazeeh Johnson’s placement on the four-week injured reserve after some very mysterious injury news.
After leaving the second preseason outing with an unspecified “shoulder” injury, Johnson did not suit up for the final August affair. Despite that, just about every Chiefs 53-man roster projection had Johnson as the CB5 leading up to the cutdown.
The main teammate that he was in competition with — and was also expected to beat out for the job — was fellow 2022 draftmate Joshua Williams.
There’s a chance Williams might have been traded, rather than cut, but the Chiefs chose door number three following the Johnson news. And just like that, the former fourth-round pick’s KC career has life once again.
It’s been an odd three years for Williams, considering he’s started 12 games and won two Super Bowl rings as a relatively disappointing prospect.
When the Chiefs selected Williams, they expected him to be a long-term piece on the perimeter. Instead, he was immediately outshone by seventh-rounders like Jaylen Watson and Johnson (when healthy).
Still, Williams is a solid, albeit inconsistent, player in his own right. Keeping him around certainly isn’t a bad thing, but you have to wonder what would have happened if Johnson hadn’t suffered yet another injury.
What Is Going on With Chiefs CB Nazeeh Johnson After His Latest Injury News?
GettyKansas City Chiefs cornerback Nazeeh Johnson was placed on the short-term injured reserve.
Earlier in the day on August 26, there was some buzz around the KC community that Johnson could be placed on IR, but the chatter didn’t come from any of the credentialed media members.
“Has anyone else seen a report that Nazeeh Johnson will start the season on IR? 🤔 Not sure if the source is valid, but here’s the IG post,” an X account called Daily Chiefs noted, sharing a screenshot of an Instagram post by an account named chiefs.talk on IG.
Later, popular fan accounts Chiefs Blitz and All Chief’d Up! picked up the rumor on X. Although the latter pointed out that there was “very little info” on the subject.
In the end, chiefs.talk was correct, and Johnson was placed on IR. It’s unclear exactly what’s going on with his shoulder at this time, but the former seventh-round pick will now be sidelined until Week 5, minimum.
It’s Not the First Time the Chiefs Have Had to Call Upon Joshua Williams in Place of Nazeeh Johnson
Say what you want about Williams, but perhaps his greatest strength has been his durability.
While Johnson has rarely been available throughout his three seasons in Kansas City, Williams has had the opposite track record. The 25-year-old appeared in 17 games as a rookie, 16 in year two, and another 17 in year three — not to mention 10 total playoff outings.
That adds up to 60 total appearances over his three-year span in KC, while Johnson has only suited up for 33 games over the same amount of time.
They say the best ability is availability, and Williams has provided that for the Chiefs again and again. On the flip side, Johnson just can’t seem to stay healthy.
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