Chiefs defender reflects on season-ending injury ahead of Super Bowl LVIII
As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, they must do so without one of their top defenders.
Defensive end Charles Omenihu tore his ACL in the AFC Championship Game and is expecting to feel all of the highs and lows the closer the two teams get to kickoff.
"I think emotionally it will touch me for the simple fact that I won't be up playing the biggest game in the NFL," Omenihu said, via Aaron Ladd of KSHB41. "I had dreams of playing and making plays, just continuing what I've been doing all year, to be honest. And especially going against your former team."
The Chiefs will likely miss Omenihu just as much as he'll miss playing in the game. The 26-year-old finished the year with 31 tackles, eight sacks and three forced fumbles (regular and postseason) and was clearly looking forward to getting his revenge on the 49ers, who he played for from 2021-22.
Kansas City will now rely even more on players like DT Chris Jones, DE George Karlaftis and DE Mike Danna to help make up for the loss of Omenihu against one of the better offensive lines in the league.
Omenihu is obviously upset he won't get to face his former team on the NFL's biggest stage. But he's still confident he'll have the last laugh by the end of the weekend.
"I wanted them and I'm glad they're here," Omenihu added. "And I'm glad that I'll still be, in some way, a part of this W that we're gonna get."
Although Omenihu won't be playing in the Super Bowl, he is a big reason why the Chiefs made it to the game. And he is just as confident that he'll be back sooner than later.
"I think we'll be back here again," Omenihu finished. "Eventually I'll give myself that pat on the back and acknowledge that I did something that not a lot of guys probably have done."
Omenihu will have at least one more chance of making it back with Kansas City next season after signing a two-year, $16M deal in the offseason. But for now, he's just hoping his team can finish the job and get him his first ring.
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