The Kansas City Chiefs have a better idea about when they'll have Justin Houston back in the lineup.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that the Chiefs' premier pass rusher won't need surgery, but could miss two to three weeks with the dislocated elbow he suffered in Sunday's loss to the San Diego Chargers, according to a pair of sources informed of the MRI results.
Testing revealed the presence of sprained ligaments and torn muscles in the elbow, but the timeline is better news than some expected after swelling prevented the outside linebacker from undergoing an MRI earlier in the week.
With Houston's fellow edge rusher Tamba Hali battling a "slight" ankle sprain, the Chiefs won't badger quarterbacks to the same degree, but both should be fully operational before long.
A three-week absence for Houston would leave Kansas City vulnerable this Sunday against the Denver Broncos, but the following two weeks bring the beatable Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs -- even with Houston and Hali in the fold -- haven't rushed the passer as effectively over the past month, but this remains the AFC's most dangerous duo of outside linebackers.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" previewed all three of the big Thanksgiving games on the schedule.
