3:55pm: Speaking to reporters, including Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link), Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed that initial tests have diagnosed Charles with a torn ACL.
3:34pm: The Chiefs appear to have lost their most important offensive player for the remainder of the season, as the “initial fear” is that running back Jamaal Charles suffered a torn right ACL during today’s game against the Bears, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Charles will undergo an MRI to determine the full extent of the injury.
Losing Charles would obviously be a huge blow to a Chiefs club that, after today’s close loss to Chicago, sits a 1-4. In an AFC West the features the undefeated Broncos, the .500 Chargers, and the upstart Raiders, a serious injury to Charles could be a death knell for Kansas City. The 28-year-old Charles had been his usual self so far during the 2015 campaign, averaging more than five yards per carry an scoring five times.
If Charles is out for the year, the Chiefs will turn to a combination of second-year pro Charcandrick West and third-year man Knile Davis. Davis had been the primary backup to Charles since the former’s rookie year, but Kansas City’s backfield has seen something of a changing of the guard in recent weeks, with West seeing the majority of the snaps behind Charles. A timeshare would probably make the most sense if the Chiefs are forced to play with Charles.
Charles missed most of the 2011 season with an ACL injury, though it was his left knee that was damaged four years ago.
As far as RBs go, this is about as irreplaceable as they get. With a severely limited quarterback and a poorly built offensive line, the Chiefs could well crater. Andy Reid and Co. did a great job of coaching up an injured team last year, but the Chiefs really suffered in 2011 without Charles. That said, Knile Davis has been underused and has been a competent replacement, albeit in a temporary capacity, in years past. With his speed, he’d make for a better primary option than Charcandrick West.