Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is doing well enough in rehab from his torn ACL that he might be on the field at Organized Team Activities next week.
That’s the word from Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who said “you might see” Charles doing drills on the field.
If Charles is on the field next week, even at less than 100 percent, it may indicate that he’s making better progress than he was expecting a couple months ago, when he said he was targeting training camp for his return. Charles suffered the ACL tear, the second of his NFL career, five weeks into the season. At the time he went down he was on pace for another stellar season, averaging 5.1 yards a carry.
The 29-year-old Charles has averaged at least 5.0 yards a carry in every single year of his career, a very rare feat in the NFL. The Chiefs would love to think he has at least a couple more good years left in him despite the wear and tear on his knees, and his return next week would be a good sign.