Martin Rucker signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in mid-May. Two weeks later, on June 1, he injured his knee. Two weeks after that, his hopes of playing for the Chiefs in 2012 were over when he was placed on Injured Reserve. It's a frustrating scenario for everyone involved -- from the team hoping Rucker could make an impact at a point of need for depth on the roster to a player excited to play near his home. Instead, Rucker has a long road of recovery ahead.
"He's going to take some time to recover from (surgery), so we're going to put him on IR and then go from there," Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel said after Wednesday's practice.
Rucker last played on an active roster in the 2010 NFL season, so his story was already a nice one coming out of Chiefs camp. He was on the practice squad for the Cowboys and Jaguars over the last two seasons, but the Chiefs needed some veteran depth at tight end given the current depth chart, and Romeo Crennel was familiar with Rucker's game from his time with the Cleveland Browns.
The Chiefs should now be expected to address the position with another veteran signing by training camp in August.
For more on the Kansas City Chiefs' 2012 minicamp, check out Arrowhead Pride and SB Nation's NFL page.
