Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo believes both cornerbacks could play against the Chargers.
During the Kansas City Chiefs’ 19-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13, the team made a change at cornerback.
After exceeding 90% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps for three consecutive games (with underwhelming results), third-year player Nazeeh Johnson was replaced by Joshua Williams, who also joined the team in the 2022 draft. Williams ended the game with 49 defensive snaps to Johnson’s 12.
Speaking to reporters before Thursday’s practice, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo implied that both players might play on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We’ll see where we’re at,” Spagnuolo predicted. “Listen, we’re going to need everybody down the stretch. It’s December football. [We] need everybody to be healthy — and stay healthy. We’re going to need all these guys to win. Both of those guys will probably play. We’ll see where we’re at as far as who goes first.”
According to Spagnuolo, Johnson was immediately given the same message.
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“I talked with [Johnson],” he recalled, “and I just told him, ‘Well, I’m going to make this move right now’ —[but] that we were still going to need him. He still went in on other packages, I believe. We needed him to go in there.”
According to Spagnuolo, both players should prepare as if they are starting — advice that extends to everyone on the team.
“Nobody’s giving up on anybody,” he declared. “I just visited with Nazeeh again today [and] told him to keep preparing like he did every other week. Josh has to do the same thing, and we’re at that time of the year where guys are going to get dinged — or we’re going to put the best 11 guys out there.
“If it means somebody’s not out there that has been, it’s [because] for whatever reason, the staff feels like it’s going to make us better — and we’ll do that with any position, really.”
Whoever plays across from Trent McDuffie is likely to have their hands full with wideout Ladd McConkey. The rookie has been fantastic since Kansas City and Los Angeles faced off in Week 4, recording 815 receiving yards and four touchdowns through 12 games — although he’s been limited in the Chargers’ first two practices of the week with knee and shoulder ailments.
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Still, Spagnuolo is preparing for McConkey to be a major part of the Los Angeles offense.
“There’s no question that he’s a main focus,” he observed. “When we played him the last time, I don’t think we knew that he was going to surface like that. He’s a rookie, but now it’s evident that he’s a guy that you better make sure you have your eyeballs on because the quarterback is trying to find him — and when he does, it’s usually a pretty successful play.
“He’s a good football player. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. Nifty, smart — [and] the chemistry between him and 10 [Herbert] looks really good to me.”