With two weeks between Championship Sunday and Super Bowl betting Sunday, most of the weekly bumps and nicks that players pick up have time to heal. But this will be the 20th game since September for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the 19th game for the Kansas City Chiefs, and all of that football has left a number of players either already ruled out for Super Bowl LV or in danger of missing the game.
Kansas City Chiefs
Eric Fisher, Left Tackle
The biggest injury of the two games Sunday was the Achilles tear suffered by Pro Bowl left tackle Eric Fisher. Not only does Fisher protect the backside of Patrick Mahomes, but the Chiefs offensive line was already being held together by glue and duct tape.
All-Pro right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has been out since October. Guard Laurent Duvarney-Tardiff opted out of the season so he could use his medical degree to fight COVID-19; and guard Kelechi Osemele tore tendons in both of his knees in October.
When the Packers were without left tackle David Bakhtiari in the NFC Championship Game, the Buccaneers defensive front sacked Aaron Rodgers five times.
L’Jarius Sneed, Cornerback
One of the NFL’s best rookies on the defensive side of the ball has been Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. He left the AFC Championship Game in the third quarter after banging his head on the turf and was put into the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Head coach Andy Reid, however, says he expects Sneed to be cleared in time for the Super Bowl.
Sammy Watkins, Wide Receiver
Sammy Watkins missed five games in the middle of the season because of a bad hamstring, and now it’s a calf injury that has been plaguing him. He missed the first two games of the postseason, but the Chiefs are hopeful he’ll be back vs. Tampa Bay.
Online sportsbooks think he will, paying just +200 on Watkins scoring in the Super Bowl.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jordan Whitehead, Safety
In the NFC Championship Game, Jordan Whitehead laid a lick on the Packers’ Aaron Jones that forced a fumble, but it also injured Whitehead’s shoulder. He left the game and did not return, and right now, head coach Bruce Arians isn’t giving any details about the injury.
Whitehead’s availability for the Super Bowl is still unknown at this time. He has had a shoulder MRI and is officially designated as day-to-day.
If he does end up playing in the Super Bowl, Whitehead is likely to be less than 100%.
Antoine Winfield, Jr., Safety
Rookie safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. hurt his ankle last week in practice getting ready for the NFC Championship trip to Green Bay and ultimately ended up missing that game. Winfield had 96 tackles this season, and in Tampa Bay’s divisional-round win at New Orleans, he had six tackles and a forced fumble.
His ankle is expected to be okay by the Super Bowl.
Antonio Brown, Wide Receiver
A nagging knee injury kept midseason acquisition Antonio Brown out of the NFC Championship Game, but barring any setbacks in practice, he too will be back by the Super Bowl. The online betting oddsmakers are paying +250 on Brown scoring a touchdown against the Chiefs.
