The Chiefs have placed 28-year old RB Jackie Battle on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to a foot injury.  Battle played in 15 games (4 starts) for the Chiefs this year and he carried the ball 149 times for 597 yards (4.0 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also caught 9 passes for 68 yards (7.6 avg) this year.  Battle will likely end up as the Chiefs’ leading rusher this year, unless Dexter McCluster (455 rushing yards) or Thomas Jones (436 yards rushing) have a career day tomorrow against the Broncos.  Battle has now played in 48 games (4 starts) in his first five years with the Chiefs and he has carried the ball 190 times for 715 yards (3.8 ypc) with 4 TD runs.  He has also caught 14 passes for 76 yards (5.4 avg) in his NFL career so far.

Starting QB Matt Cassel is likely done for the season due to surgery on his throwing hand.  Cassel has played in 9 games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has completed 160 of 269 passes (59.5%) for 1,713 yards with 10 TD passes and 9 INTs (76.6 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 25 times for 99 yards (4.0 ypc) so far this year.  28-year old lefty slinging Tyler Palko will take over as the Chiefs’ starting QB for now.  He has played in 2 games for the Chiefs and he has completed 5 of 7 passes (71.4%) for 47 yards without a TD pass or interception (89.6 QB Rating).  Palko has also carried the ball 1 time for 8 yards so far this year for the Chiefs.  Palko has a weak throwing arm but he is accurate and he can move in the pocket or take off running.  If Palko falters, the Chiefs might turn to rookie Ricky Stanzi at QB.

The Chiefs have lost 24-year old RB Jamaal Charles for the rest of the year due to a torn ACL.  Charles played in 2 games for the Chiefs this year and he carried the ball 12 times for 83 yards (6.9 ypc).  He also caught 5 passes for 9 yards (1.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Charles has now played in 49 games in his first four years with the Chiefs and he has carried the ball 499 times for 3,027 yards (6.1 ypc) with 12 TD runs.  He has also caught 117 passes for 1,046 yards (8.9 avg) with 6 TD grabs for the Chiefs.  This is a huge loss for the Chiefs as Charles was by far the best RB on the roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs have lost 22-year old safety Eric Berry for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL.  Berry played in yesterday’s game against the Bills but he was injured before he could make a tackle.  This is a huge blow to the Chiefs’ defense as Berry played great as a rookie last year.  Berry played in all 16 games for the Chiefs last year and he had 92 tackles, 4 interceptions (one returned for a TD), 9 passes defensed, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 3 tackles for a loss.  The Chiefs are really going to miss Berry’s physical style at the back end of the D in 2011.

The Chiefs have lost 24-year old TE Tony Moeaki for the season due to a torn ACL.  He was injured in the preseason finale, which he had no business really playing in.  Moeaki played in 15 games (all starts) for the Chiefs last year and he caught 47 passes for 556 yards (11.8 avg) with 3 TD grabs as a rookie.  Chiefs’ head coach Todd Haley deserves a lot of heat for letting Moeaki play in the preseason finale.  The Chiefs will now have to try to get by with Leonard Pope, Jake O’Connell and Anthony Becht at TE in 2011.  None of those guys are in the same league as Moeaki in the passing game.

The Chiefs have lost 28-year old OT Ryan O’Callaghan for the season as he has been placed on I.R.  O’Callaghan played in 11 games (1 start) for the Chiefs last year.  He has now played in 25 games (13 starts) in his first two seasons with the Chiefs.  This injury will hurt the depth along the O-Line for the Chiefs in 2011.

22-year old rookie WR Jonathan Baldwin came into training camp riding on his high horse as a first round pick (#26 overall).  But a couple of days ago he got on Thomas Jones nerves and a lockerroom brawl ensued.  Now Baldwin is going to miss multiple weeks with a cracked thumb.  Baldwin has a lot of talent, but if he doesn’t grow up soon, he’s going to flame out in the NFL and the Chiefs can’t afford that to happen.

The Chiefs have signed 25-year old linebacker Brandon Siler.  Siler played in 12 games for the Chargers last year and he had 44 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception.  Siler has now played in 58 games in his first four years in the NFL and he has 161 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 passes defensed and 2 interceptions.  This was a good pickup for the Chiefs as Siler should help out the run defense when he’s on the field.

UPDATE: (8/25/2011) – The Chiefs have lost Brandon Siler for the whole 2011 season due to a torn Achilles tendon.

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed 24-year old CB/S Donald Washington on the Injured Reserve List (ankle), ending his season.  Washington played in 12 games for the Chiefs this year and he had 22 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.  Washington has now played in 20 games in his first two years with the Chiefs and he has 27 tackles.  The Chiefs will miss Washington more on special teams then on defense.

28-year old QB Matt Cassel had a emergency appendectomy this past Wednesday which likely means he’ll at least miss this weekend’s game with the Chargers and maybe also next week’s game against the Rams.  This is bad timing for the Chiefs as they are in first place in the AFC West by 2 games over the Chargers & Raiders.  Cassel has played in all 12 games for the Chiefs so far this year and he has completed 212 of 354 passes (59.9%) for 2,503 yards with 23 TD passes and 4 INTs (98.4 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 24 times for 88 yards (3.7 ypc) so far this year.  The Chiefs need Cassel to get healthy soon.