KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Running back Larry Johnson will sit out Kansas City's game against Tennessee for violating team rules, a potentially crippling blow for a struggling young offense facing the NFL's last unbeaten team.
Coach Herm Edwards refused to specify what team rules the two-time Pro Bowler broke. But Edwards did say his decision had nothing to do with the charge of simple assault filed against Johnson this week.
Johnson, 28, has rushed for 417 yards and three touchdowns as the rookie-laden Chiefs try to find their way through the first year of a top-to-bottom rebuilding project. Against Denver on Sept. 28, the only victory the Chiefs (1-4) have, he gained 198 yards. The Titans (5-0) come in with a defense ranked fifth overall and are giving up only 95.8 yards rushing.
"Any time you're missing a good player ... I think it always hurts you," Edwards said. "But you see other players elevate their game, too."
Johnson was not in the locker room Thursday when reporters were admitted.
Kolby Smith, who had 407 yards on 112 carries last year when Johnson missed the last eight games with a foot injury, will probably start. Also certain to see plenty of action will be rookie Jamaal Charles, a third-round pick out of Texas who has carried 21 times for 98 yards.
CHAMBERS SIDELINED: Chargers receiver Chris Chambers remained sidelined Thursday with a sprained ankle.
Chambers, who leads the Chargers with five touchdown catches, hasn't practiced since hurting his ankle in a loss at Miami on Oct. 5.
Chambers remains uncertain when he will return, but said he's experienced no setbacks during his rehabilitation.
"Not at all," said Chambers, who has 11 catches for 226 yards. "It's progressively getting better. I did more today, and every day it is getting better."
Whether his ankle heals in time for San Diego's game at Buffalo this weekend — followed by a game in London against New Orleans — remains to be seen.
"I definitely don't want to rush back. I have to be patient," he said. "But I definitely don't want to miss any more games, so we'll see. It will probably be a game-time deal."
The Chargers didn't miss Chambers in Sunday's 30-10 rout of New England. Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd — Chambers' replacement — combined for eight catches, two touchdowns and 209 receiving yards.
Before Sunday, Floyd had zero catches this season.
"I'm ecstatic ... very happy for him (Floyd) because he deserves it," Chambers said. "He works just as hard as anybody on this team and he has a great ability that everybody could see."
Floyd is in his third season but has been slowed by injuries while working his way up San Diego's depth chart.
"Oh yeah, it's been a roller coaster," said Floyd. "But I have to just stay mentally tough, be ready at all times and be focused."
NEW ORLEANS: New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush missed his second consecutive practice Thursday with a swollen left knee.
"It's the first time he's missed two days (of practice) in a row in a while," Saints coach Sean Payton said.
Payton said the swelling in Bush's knee has gone down and the team will see where his progress stands today while being cautious. Payton said he backed off some of Bush's reps last week, but not enough to deem him limited in practice.
"The soreness being with the play in Tampa Bay on a specific hit," Payton said. "We'll monitor it, treat it and try to get the swelling down. It's something he will battle through during the bye week."
Tight end Jeremy Shockey (hernia) practiced on a limited basis for the second day in a row, which is the first time he's done that since undergoing surgery following the Denver game. Wide receiver Marques Colston (thumb) was also limited and has participated at that level since the beginning of last week.
The prospects of Shockey's return increased Thursday when the Saints waived tight end Sean Ryan off the active roster.
MINNESOTA: The Minnesota Vikings ended fullback Thomas Tapeh's homecoming six games into the season to make room for linebacker Napoleon Harris.
The Vikings brought back Harris on Thursday to help at the injury-ravaged position and waived Tapeh to make room on the roster after putting him on the inactive list as a healthy scratch for the past four weeks.
It was a curious move for a team that gave Tapeh a five-year contract with $1.2 million in guaranteed money on the first day of free agency, but coach Brad Childress recently hinted this was coming when he claimed Tapeh didn't disclose a minor knee surgery he had shortly before signing.
Tapeh's cubicle was already cleared out with the nameplate removed when the locker room was opened to reporters, and Harris — wearing No. 99 because all the 50s are taken — was on the field for the afternoon practice.
Childress, who recruited Tapeh when he was at the University of Wisconsin and coached him as the offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, said the 28-year-old took the decision "like a man" and was simply surpassed in his role by Naufahu Tahi. Tahi has contributed on special teams, too.
"Fahu obviously ended up as the starter. That's who you think is the better player," Childress said.
INDIANAPOLIS: Colts running back Joseph Addai hopes an injured hamstring won't keep him out too long.
Addai is still sore and is likely to miss Sunday's game at Green Bay, but the Colts running back, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, wouldn't say Thursday whether the muscle is torn.
"Right now, it's not feeling too good," he said. "The biggest thing is just getting it back to where it feels strong."
Reports surfaced Wednesday night that Addai had a partially torn hamstring. If the rumor is true, he could miss up to four weeks.
That's not what the Colts have been saying all week, and coach Tony Dungy reiterated that position again during his availability with reporters Thursday.
"I hope not," he said. "I read that yesterday, but I hadn't heard that. I've pulled muscles that kept me out a week or two. I would think a torn muscle would be a problem, but I haven't heard that, other than reading it in the paper."
Dungy has said Addai probably would be held out this weekend even if he felt good enough to play, and the Colts have already taken measures to avoid the predicament they faced against Baltimore last Sunday.
Addai left in the first quarter and did not return, and third-string running back Mike Hart left in the second quarter with a right knee injury. Hart's injury was later diagnosed as a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear, and he was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.
JACKSONVILLE: Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Mike Walker has been released from the hospital following treatment for a knee infection.
Walker, who was released Wednesday, sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee Oct. 5 against Pittsburgh and did not travel with the team to Denver last weekend. He has 12 catches for 161 yards this season.