The Kansas City Chiefs will likely head to Super Bowl LVIII without a key defensive lineman at their disposal against a tough San Francisco 49ers offensive line on Feb. 11.
Chiefs defense end Charles Omenihu tore his ACL in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens and will be forced to sit out the Super Bowl, according to multiple reports. He seemingly confirmed the news Monday when he posted a broken heart emoji on X.
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, #8, has the ball stripped away by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu, #90, in the second quarter. The Baltimore Ravens hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The Chiefs’ defense has been the major bright spot for the team this season. Kansas City finished the year ranked No. 2 in points and yards allowed. It was the first time they finished in the top 5 in one of those categories since the 2015 season.
It needed to have a great year with so much flux on the offense and Patrick Mahomes’ weaponry not performing as well as it had in years past.
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Charles Omenihu, #90 of the Kansas City Chiefs, looks on from the sideline before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Jan. 7, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
Omenihu joined the Chiefs in the offseason after spending more than a year with the 49ers. He appeared in 11 games and had seven sacks along with 18 tackles and two forced fumbles. He had a strip sack against the Ravens before he went down with an injury.
The pressure will be on the rest of the defensive line to step up and try to evoke enough pressure on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to force him to make mistakes. The secondary will be in charge of trying to corral Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle while also watching out for big breaks from Christian McCaffrey.
Charles Omenihu, #90 of the Kansas City Chiefs, shows off his gloves before an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Miami Dolphins at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Kara Durrette/Getty Images)
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The Chiefs and 49ers will meet at Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl.
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