99 Khalen Saunders DT

Saunders (elbow) was activated from injured reserve Saturday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 24-year-old has been sidelined since suffering the dislocated elbow in the season opener, but he's back in time for Week 7. Saunders filled a rotational role with 22 tackles and one sack last season and figures to be used similarly in 2020 now that's he's healthy.

The Chiefs designated Saunders (elbow) to return from injured reserve Wednesday, Charles Goldman of USA Today reports.

Saunders has resided on IR since Sept. 19 due to a dislocated elbow but he appears to be nearing a return. The Western Illinois product could return as early as Sunday's game against Denver, but once he returns to the team, it will likely be in more of a depth role at defensive tackle.

The Chiefs placed Saunders (elbow) on injured reserve Saturday.

Saunders is expected to be sidelined for a month due to a dislocated elbow, so this decision was inevitable. He will be available to return from IR after three weeks. While he is sidelined, look for Tershawn Wharton to see an uptick in defensive snaps.

The Chiefs expect Saunders to be out a month as he works to recover from a dislocated elbow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Saunders suffered the injury during Kansas City's season-opening win over the Texans. The second-year pro avoided any fractures and won't need surgery, so he shouldn't face many additional hurdles as he works toward a mid-October return. In the meantime, Tershawn Wharton stands to handle increased defensive snaps.

Saunders dislocated his elbow during Thursday's game against the Texans, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

Saunders exited the game in the first quarter and did not return. Even with a 10-day recovery period prior to Week 2, it would not be surprising to see the defensive tackle miss some additional time, in which case Tershawn Wharton should see additional snaps behind starters Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi.

Saunders (elbow) is out for the remainder Thursday's game against the Texans.

Saunders appeared to suffer a serious arm injury in the first quarter, laying on the ground in pain. The good news for Saunders is that he'll have 10 days to recover before Week 2. As long as Saunders is out, Tershawn Wharton should be in line for an uptick in depth snaps.

Saunders left Thursday's game against the Texans with an arm injury, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Saunders suffered what initially appears to be a serious injury, as he left the field holding his arm in obvious pain. The Western Illinois product headed back to the locker room for further evaluation.. As long as Saunders is out, Tershawn Wharton could be in line for an uptick in depth snaps.

Saunders notched 22 tackles (13 solo), one sack and one defended pass across 12 regular-season contests in 2019.

Saunders also had three tackles across three postseason appearances. After sitting out the first four contests of the regular season, the Western Illinois product managed to carve out a consistent depth role behind Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi in the middle of Kansas City's defensive line. He'll now work to further his development over the offseason.

The Chiefs selected Saunders in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 84th overall.

The Western Illinois product was not held back by his small-school background, as he still managed to hear his name called on Day 2. Saunders has a stout build at 6-foot and 324 pounds, with impressive suddenness off the ball. He made a name for himself with a strong week at the Senior Bowl, showing that he can hang with upper-tier talent. He'll slot in behind Derrick Nnadi and Chris Jones in the middle of Kansas City's line.