SUPER BOWL LVIII
Why isn’t Charles Omenihu playing for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl 2024?
The Kansas City Chiefs are without the defensive end, who signed from the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Super Bowl Sunday is here and the hotly-anticipated rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers is the talk of sports fans around the world.
This mathc-up has particular significance for Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu, who spent two seasons with the 49ers before moving to Kansas City. He has played a key role in his team’s defensive success in 2023 and has recorded seven sacks and two forced fumbles, despite missing the start of the season due to suspension.
Unfortunately for Omenihu, he will also miss the season’s finale after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the AFC Championship victory over the Baltimore Ravens. He was withdrawn at halftime due to the injury and has been ruled out of the Super Bowl.
When will Charles Omenihu return for the Chiefs?
After a brief moment of cautious optimism, the full extent of Omenihu’s injury became clear in the days after the AFC triumph. The 26-year-old will have to undergo surgery to repair the torn ligament and looks set to spend the majority of 2024 on the sideines.
The best case scenario for a recovery from a serious ACL injury is typically around nine months, which would see Omenihu return in October. However it is not uncommon for older players to be out for up to a year as they rebuild strength in the knee.
Without Omenihu in the frame for Super Bowl LVIII the Chiefs will need to find an alternative option and could give minutes to 22-year-old rookie Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
Speaking ahead of the game Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said: “Felix [Anudike-Uzomah] will probably have to step in. Everyone has to up their game in a Super Bowl anyway... We feel real confident with where Felix is,” he continued. “It wasn’t a reflection on what Felix was doing or not doing, but the other guys were doing pretty good.”