NFL teams
Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer 5y

Chiefs expect CB Kendall Fuller to play Sunday despite surgery

NFL, Kansas City Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs are expecting starting cornerback Kendall Fuller to play against the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday night, just more than a week after having surgery on his hand.

"This is a short-term thing,'' coach Andy Reid said. "There's a good chance he has an opportunity to play in the game coming up here.''

Fuller was injured in the Week 14 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He was listed on the injury report before last week's game against the Los Angeles Chargers as having a thumb injury.

Fuller played every defensive snap against the Chargers. Reid indicated the plan was for Fuller to have the surgery the day after the Chargers game, which was played on Thursday night, to recover from the surgery and return for the subsequent game.

Reid also said the Chiefs would expand safety Eric Berry's role against the Seahawks. Berry played for the first time this season against the Chargers after batting a heel injury. He played on 30 of the 74 defensive snaps.

"The best news is that he came out of it feeling OK,'' Reid said. "Then we'll keep rolling with it ...  You're talking about a Pro Bowl player. You add him into the mix and that's a pretty good thing to do.''

Berry played only in the first half against the Chargers. The Chiefs allowed seven points when he was in the lineup and 22 afterward, including two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the final four minutes.

Berry could have helped the Chiefs on either of those touchdown drives, but Reid said he never considered putting him back in the game.

"I was nervous about him coming out at halftime having to sit ... It's not just a matter of playing but the adrenaline that's built into it,'' Reid said. "Those legs, they wear out fairly quick, so why push it past that? We probably got a few more snaps than we thought we would get, but I had to pull back on it a little bit.''

Reid said three other injured starters -- wide receiver Sammy Watkins, running back Spencer Ware and guard Cam Erving -- are day-to-day after not playing against the Chargers. Watkins has a foot injury, Ware a sore hamstring and Erving a knee injury.

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