Chiefs Lineman Admits Playing Through Super Bowl LVIII with Painful Elbow Injury

Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Nick Allegretti disclosed on Friday that he endured Super Bowl LVIII with a significant injury, adding to the team’s already plagued roster of hurt players.

Allegretti, who had mostly served as a backup throughout his career in KC, was thrust into the starting lineup for Super Bowl LVIII. He revealed on “The Jim Rome Show” that he sustained the injury during the second quarter when San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa tackled him.

“I haven’t had an injury like that before,” Allegretti stated on the show. “I immediately knew. It was something where you heard a pop, felt it, and with minimal knowledge about anatomy, I knew that something was wrong in my elbow. Because my elbow isn’t supposed to bend that way.”

Fortunately, the two-minute warning provided Allegretti with a brief respite, allowing him to assess his arm before continuing. Despite extreme pain, he managed to play through, contributing to the Chiefs’ 25-22 victory.

Allegretti had been dealing with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Despite the injury, he played 79 snaps in the Super Bowl, helping secure the win for the Chiefs.

Having only made one start in 2023 and three in 2022, Allegretti’s role in the Super Bowl was unexpected. He had been with the Chiefs since the 2019 season.

In terms of pain, Allegretti estimated his discomfort to be around a six or seven initially, eventually subsiding to a five after halftime treatment. Despite the ordeal, he found motivation in the encouragement from his teammates, reminding him that he didn’t necessarily need a UCL to play.

“I could confidently use the arm knowing that most likely the UCL was already gone, so I wasn’t going to tear it any worse,” Allegretti explained. “So if I could deal with the pain, I could play. So it was one of those things.