ChiefsPlanet - KC Star:Croyle eager to play Sunday

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Croyle eager to play Sunday

Brodie Croyle has a lot of reasons to hurry back into the starting lineup for the Chiefs in Sunday’s final regular-season game against the Jets in East Rutherford, N.J.

Playing quarterback for the Chiefs is his job, for one. The game against the 3-12 Jets also represents a good chance for Croyle to pick up the victory that so far has eluded him.

No reason is better than wishing to prove to his teammates and coaches that he’s not the brittle, injury-prone quarterback he appears to be.

“There’s only way to get rid of that (knock),” he said Thursday. “That’s to play a whole season without getting hurt and without missing any time. Hopefully, next year by the 16th game, we’re not talking about the same thing and we’re talking about going to the playoffs.

“I want to play. There’s nobody on this team that enjoys competing more than I do. If there’s any chance I can play, I’m going to play.”

Croyle was a full participant in practice, increasing the likelihood he will start against the Jets. Coach Herm Edwards stopped short of saying Croyle would play, indicating he wanted to see how Croyle fared in practice today before making the final determination.

At any rate, Croyle’s throwing hand appears much better than it was after Sunday’s game in Detroit. Croyle injured the hand while trying to make a tackle after an interception in the second quarter and Damon Huard finished the game at quarterback.

Croyle wore a pad on the hand at practice, but he threw the ball well and reported no trouble gripping the ball, the biggest problem in Detroit.

“The pain of it is not that big of a deal,” Croyle said. “You play with pain. That’s something you always play with. But I couldn’t grip the ball. I couldn’t hold the ball when I tried to throw. The ball slipped to the outside of my hand.

“My grip’s better. Hopefully, I can give it a whirl. This is by far the best it’s been since it happened. The swelling is down. It’s getting better.”

No one in the Chiefs’ locker room is outwardly questioning Croyle or his willingness to play through pain. But the injury is his second since he replaced Huard as the starting quarterback six weeks ago.

Croyle missed a game against San Diego early this month after taking a knee in the back from an Oakland defender in the previous game. Croyle finished the Raiders’ game, though he was in obvious pain.

His slight build and history of injuries were the biggest reasons Croyle slipped to the third round in last year’s draft. He’s done much to validate those claims in the last month and a half, but Edwards said these injuries weren’t much of a factor as the Chiefs evaluate him.

“The way he got hurt, it’s been kind of funny,” Edwards said. “He tried to make a tackle, and a guy kneed him in the back. You just kind of look at it and say that’s kind of the way the season’s gone.

“He’s been nicked, but he hasn’t been injured. He left the game, and now he’s back this week. He came back after the back thing. So it’s nothing (major). But you’d like your quarterback to always be available.”

Croyle was actually injured as he collided with a player blocking for linebacker Paris Lenon. Lenon returned the interception for a touchdown, and Croyle was penalized for a low hit on the player throwing the block.

“I told him that’s OK to go tackle him if you want to tackle him,” Edwards said. “But don’t hit the wrong guy.”

Knowing what he knows now, Croyle might let the guy score the next time.

“That’s probably half the reason I ended up getting hurt,” he said. “I don’t really think it through all the time. I tried to tackle somebody when I knew I had no chance. Hindsight is 20-20. It would have been easier to just kind of let it go. That’s something I have a tough time doing.”