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Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS — The Kansas City Chiefs will play in Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers without All-Pro guard Joe Thuney because of a pectoral injury.
Thuney was injured during the Chiefs’ divisional round playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills. He didn’t play in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs held some hope heading to Las Vegas that Thuney could play in the Super Bowl, but he didn’t practice all week, and the Chiefs listed him as out for the game on their final injury report of the week.
He will be replaced in the starting lineup at left guard by Nick Allegretti, who started against the Ravens. In his five seasons with the Chiefs, Allegretti started 13 regular games and four more in the postseason, including their Super Bowl LV loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2020 season.
Everyone else on the Chiefs’ active roster will be available to play against the 49ers. Two backup players on their injured reserve list were listed on the injury report, running back Jerick McKinnon (groin) as questionable and offensive lineman Prince Tega Wanogho (quad) as out.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice, who has become Kansas City’s top pass-catcher alongside tight end Travis Kelce, was a full participant after he was stepped on near the end of practice Thursday. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who missed last year’s Super Bowl after dealing with an injury, also put in a full practice after dealing with an illness earlier in the week.
The 49ers, meanwhile, enter Sunday’s matchup about as healthy as a team could hope to be heading into the final game of the season. The Niners have no players on the active 53-man roster with an injury designation heading into Super Bowl LVIII.
As coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday, the 49ers had no concerns about tight end George Kittle (toe) and defensive tackle Arik Armstead (knee, foot) being ready for the Chiefs despite being limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Both players were full participants on Friday and do not have an injury designation. That is also true for linebacker Oren Burks (shoulder) and cornerback Ambry Thomas (ankle).
“The guys who have been banged up, they’ve done everything possible to be healthy for this game,” Shanahan said. “It’s our first time everyone is full and healthy. It’s the right game to have it that way.”
The only 49er with an injury designation is defensive tackle Kalia Davis, who remains on injured reserve with an ankle issue. He’s eligible to be activated but the Niners would have to make a corresponding roster move to create space for him.
Information from ESPN’s Nick Wagoner and The Associated Press was used in this story.
Source: www.espn.com