Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston’s elbow was too swollen for him to have an MRI on Monday, but coach Andy Reid passed along some information about the injury that knocked him out of Sunday’s 41-38 loss to the Chargers.
Reid said, via Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star, that Houston had a subluxation, or dislocation, of his elbow during Sunday’s game. The MRI will be necessary to assess how much damage was done when the elbow popped out and how long it will take for Houston to get back on the field.
The news was better in regard to Houston’s fellow edge rusher Tamba Hali. Reid said Hali sprained his ankle during the game, but that it has made “big improvements” since Sunday. It’s not the dreaded high ankle sprain, which is a good thing for his chances of playing.
The Chiefs defense slumped badly on Sunday after Hali and Houston were injured, going from a 14-3 lead to their eventual demise once they lost the leaders of their pass rush. A similar performance against the Broncos in Week 13 would seriously limit the Chiefs’ chances of winning both the game and the division, making the health of the two outside linebackers the storyline to watch in Kansas City this week.