The lack of participation from Kansas City Chiefs first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah during rookie minicamp drew concerns from Chiefs fans. The reason behind it was revealed by head coach Andy Reid on Monday.
Reid said that Anudike-Uzomah had surgery to repair his right thumb before the draft, according to Nate Taylor. Reid added that Anudike-Uzomah could be ready by OTAs and will be ramped up gradually.
The Chiefs selected Anudike-Uzomah with the last pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old had a fantastic career at Kansas State capped off by a decorated final season in 2022.
After appearing in one game his freshman year, Anudike-Uzomah was named a starter in his second season and had 11 sacks with 14.5 tackles for loss. He followed that in 2022 with 8.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-American.
The Chiefs could use the services of Anudike-Uzomah after posting up and down numbers across the defensive front last season. Kansas City ranked middle of the pack in pass-rush win rate and was last in the league in run-stop win rate according to ESPN but was second in the league in sacks.
Andy Reid said that Felix Anudike-Uzomah would help the Chiefs right away, indicating that he could end up as a starter right out of the gate. The surgery doesn’t seem to be too much of a concern for the reigning Super Bowl champions, but they are using caution when it comes to their prized new defensive weapon.
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