53 Anthony Hitchens LB

Hitchens made 14 tackles (six solo) in Sunday's 43-40 loss to the Patriots.

Hitchens played all 78 defensive snaps in the Chiefs' first loss of the season. It's his fourth double-digit tackle performance and he's averaging 10 per game overall, which puts him on pace to shatter his previous career high of 84 stops.

Hitchens recorded 10 tackles (seven solo) in Sunday's win over Jacksonville.

Hitchens now has double-digit tackles in three of the Chiefs' five games this season. He hasn't recorded much in the way of a pass rush or pass coverage, but his consistent tackle totals make him an IDP option. He'll look to help stymie Tom Brady and the New England offense in Week 6.

Hitchens (hamstring) rejoined the Chiefs for practice Monday, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Hitchens returned to practice quickly after injuring his hamstring Saturday, indicating that the issue was likely minor. However, the recurring nature of soft-tissue injuries means that the Chiefs could take a cautious approach to reintegrating their newly acquired inside linebacker into training camp.

Hitchens was sidelined during Saturday's practice due to a hamstring injury, Nate Taylor of The Athletic Kansas City reports.

It's unclear when Hitchens sustained the injury, but it most likely occurred at Friday's practice. The severity of hamstring injuries can be tricky to gauge, so expect the Chiefs to err on the side of caution with their newly acquired inside linebacker in order to ensure his health entering the regular season. Both Terrance Smith and Dorian O'Daniel figure to be in line for increased reps at practice while he is sidelined.

Hitchens plans to sign with the Chiefs for five years and approximately $45 million, Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports.

A 2014 fourth-round pick, Hitchens had at least 67 tackles each of his four seasons in Dallas, including a career-best 84 in only 12 games last year. The size of the contract suggests he's ticketed for a three-down role, which typically wasn't the case during his time with the Cowboys. The 25-year-old will replace Derrick Johnson in the middle of the Kansas City defense.