Jamaal Charles had to be carted off the Kansas City Chiefs practice field Monday after suffering a foot strain, according to Chiefs beat reporter Nick Jacobs. Fortunately for the running back, X-rays came back negative. Joel Thorman at the SB Nation Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride speculates that Charles won't miss much practice time:
Jamaal Charles injury: Chiefs RB strains foot in practice
Jamaal Charles had to be carted off the field Monday, though the injury does not appear to be as serious as initially feared for the Chiefs running back.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
According to other reports, it is his left foot. The important part here is that X-rays were negative. A foot strain could potentially keep him out for a few days but it does not sound like something that will keep him out for multiple weeks. I can’t say that for sure though, just basing it off of what we know, which is that it’s a foot strain and X-rays are negative.
Though Charles could be healthy soon with some rest, other running backs in the past have had lingering problems due to foot strains. The injury-plagued DeMarco Murray missed six games for the Dallas Cowboys after suffering a seemingly innocuous foot strain last season.
Charles is a pivotal part of the Chiefs’ offense. Though he has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, he remains one of the most effective running backs in the NFL. Charles averaged a career low 5.3 yards per carry last season, yet had the third highest YPC among rushers with at least 200 carries. For the year, he finished with a career-best 1,509 yards rushing on 285 carries with five rushing touchdowns.
The Chiefs will play their second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Friday night. Charles may sit as a result of the injury, though he might not have seen much playing time anyway given his established spot atop the depth chart.
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