The stars could be gearing up for Cameron Thomas to make his debut with the Kansas City Chiefs

When the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon, their defensive end rotation will be a little thin. Not only is Charles Omenihu still on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from a torn ACL, Mike Danna will also miss Week 4 with a calf injury.

Of course, that puts even more pressure on George Karlaftis to perform at his best against an AFC West rival. It also opens the door for 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah and veteran Malik Herring to make their presence felt on the field.

However, could Danna’s absence pave the way for someone else to stand out? Cameron Thomas, acquired in August, has yet to appear in a game for Kansas City, which could change this weekend. If head coach Andy Reid has anything to say about it, the former third-round pick will make his season debut.

“I think he’s ready to go,” Reid said. “He’s a pretty smart kid and plays hard and stuff. “Anyway, he’s been working there for the last few weeks.”

Before joining the Chiefs, Thomas had a mixed tenure with the Arizona Cardinals. He was coming off an outstanding senior college campaign at San Diego State University and had three sacks as a rookie. However, last season he didn’t have a single sack and recorded just one quarterback hit in 15 games played. Arizona moved him to more of a true linebacker role, taking away his ability to rush the passer via a more traditional alignment.

Now, however, Thomas is a defensive end in a 4-3 system under Steve Spagnuolo. That’s a much better fit, and a change of scenery was probably needed after he failed to make a big impact with the Cardinals. As for Anudike-Uzomah and Herring’s snaps, here’s how many reps each player has combined this season:

Danna played 134 snaps in Weeks 1-3. That leaves plenty of room for everyone else to do extra work against a struggling Los Angeles offensive line. If Thomas is active, pay attention to how he looks in his first chance to show the Chiefs what he’s made of.

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