Chiefs designate LB Willie Gay Jr. to return from injured reserve – Arrowhead Pride

Promoting wide receiver Josh Gordon to the active roster was not the only move of note for the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday. According to the league’s official transaction report, the Chiefs also designated second-year linebacker Willie Gay Jr. to return from injured reserve.

The Chiefs placed Gay, 23, on injured reserve after he suffered a turf toe injury during the team’s final preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. He has missed the first four regular-season games of the year.

Gay was first eligible to return from the reserve list last week. Though he was spotted on the field without a helmet last week on Wednesday and Thursday during the portion of Chiefs practice open to media, the team opted to hold him back from a return against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Head coach Andy Reid was asked about Gay’s potential activation on Monday.

“Theres’ a chance,” said Reid. “He was kind of getting there last week. We’ll see on this, see where he’s at as we go forward here. But I think he’s starting to feel a little bit better, for sure.”

Now that Gay is designated for his return, he can fully return to practice, and the Chiefs have 21 days to see how he responds and activate him to the 53-man roster.

In other moves on Tuesday, the Chiefs placed rookie defensive end Joshua Kaindoh on injured reserve and placed practice squad protections on quarterback Shane Buechele and defensive end Demone Harris.