KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — SEPTEMBER 28: Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chris Roland-Wallace (#30) looks on prior to kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium. (Photo by Amy Kontras/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs escaped with a narrow 23–20 overtime victory against the Indianapolis Colts, keeping their playoff chances very much alive and trimming the Colts’ once-commanding AFC South lead to only one game over the 7–4 Jacksonville Jaguars.
But the hard-fought win came with significant injury concerns. Two key starters—right guard Trey Smith, who inked a four-year, $94 million extension this past offseason, and nickel defender Chris Roland-Wallace, who has emerged as a standout contributor—both suffered injuries.
Early indications suggested Roland-Wallace’s injury might not be serious as the team prepared for its Thanksgiving matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. However, Tuesday’s injury report revealed that the young defensive back was downgraded to limited participation.
Chiefs DB Limited in Tuesday’s Practice
According to the team, safety Chris Roland-Wallace (back) was limited during Tuesday’s session. Trey Smith (back) and tight end Noah Gray (concussion) were held out entirely.
Meanwhile, wide receivers Xavier Worthy (ankle) and Rashee Rice (hamstring), along with linebacker Leo Chenal (knee), were all upgraded to full participants after being listed as limited on Monday’s estimated report.
“Chiefs S Chris Roland-Wallace (back) was limited Tuesday,” Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest noted. “RG Trey Smith (back) and TE Noah Gray (concussion) did not practice. WR Xavier Worthy (ankle), WR Rashee Rice (hamstring) and LB Leo Chenal (knee) were upgraded to full from the estimate of limited Monday.”
Following Sunday’s win, head coach Andy Reid offered cautious updates about both Smith and Roland-Wallace.
“Trey Smith hurt his ankle,” Reid said after the game. “Mike Caliendo came in and did a nice job, but we’ll see how Trey progresses. Roland-Wallace hurt his lower back—we’ll just have to take it day by day. And Noah got hit in the head, so he’ll go through the concussion evaluation process.”
Roland-Wallace Emerging as a Key Piece of the Chiefs Secondary
Roland-Wallace began the season with a minimal role, logging just a single defensive snap through the first two games. But everything changed in Week 3 when starting safety Bryan Cook left with a neck injury. Since then, the former undrafted free agent from the 2024 class has steadily earned more playing time, contributing at both safety and in the slot as Kansas City has rotated its safety group—including Cook and rookie Jaden Hicks—throughout the year.
According to Pro Football Focus, Roland-Wallace has been one of the Chiefs’ top defensive performers, boasting a strong 78.8 grade, ranking him as the No. 7 safety in the league this season.
Should he be unavailable for Thursday’s showdown with Dallas, the Chiefs will likely lean more heavily on Hicks, whose defensive snap count has dipped below 33% in each of the past two games.
Daniel Arwas covers the NFL for Heavy.com. He began his sports writing career in 2022 and has contributed to outlets such as Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer.
