Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Clyde Edwards-Helaire Out for Chiefs vs. Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without three more offensive starters in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers.   

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Kansas City will rest Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Sunday. 

The trio didn't practice this week, and each was listed on the official injury report. 

Watkins did suffer a calf injury in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported it's not believed to be major. Including Sunday, he will have two weeks of rest before Kansas City's first playoff game.

Hill has been listed on the injury report with a hamstring issue in previous weeks, but he's played through it. 

Edwards-Helaire missed the Falcons game with a hip injury and high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints. A timeline for his return has yet to be established, but Rapoport noted there's a chance he could be back for the playoffs. 

Kansas City previously announced that Chad Henne will start at quarterback in place of Patrick Mahomes. 

Hill caught 87 passes for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns during the 2020 season. The fifth-year veteran holds the Chiefs' franchise record for the most receiving yards in a single season with 1,479 in 2018.

The Chiefs have had to play without Hill in the past. A posterior dislocated sternoclavicular joint suffered in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season forced him to miss four games. Hill hasn't missed a contest because of injury otherwise during his career.

Kansas City went 3-1 without Hill, and the Chiefs featured four different leading receivers during that time in Demarcus Robinson, Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle. 

However, Kelce should be the team's top pass-catcher. The six-time Pro Bowler, who ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards, became the only tight end to amass 100 or more catches in multiple seasons this year.

The Chiefs have already locked up to the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. Head coach Andy Reid doesn't need to rush his players back for a meaningless regular-season game as the team prepares to defend its Super Bowl title.