The Kansas City Chiefs’ first NFL playoff win since 1993 came at a cost on Saturday, with top receiver Jeremy Maclin facing an MRI exam on his injured right knee.
Maclin was hurt in the third quarter of the Chiefs’ 30-0 drubbing of the Houston Texans in an American Football Conference wild card game. Maclin, who tore a ligament in the same knee in training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, had three receptions for 29 yards before exiting.
His replacement, rookie Chris Conley, caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alex Smith later in the same drive.
“You never want to see anybody go down, especially Jeremy with how much he means to us,” Smith said. “But it’s kind of the mentality—Chris has stayed ready.
“For him to come in and not even blink and come make the catch like he did, it says a lot about the entire group.”
The Chiefs said Maclin’s initial diagnosis was a strain, and the Kansas City Star reported Maclin, who led the Chiefs with 87 receptions and eight touchdowns this season, was walking with a limp after the game. That could augur well for his chances of playing next week in the second-round matchup with reigning Super Bowl champions New England.
“Appreciate all the love support and prayers,” Maclin tweeted.