A year ago last spring, the Kansas City Chiefs traded a first and second-round draft pick to the Seattle Seahawks for defensive lineman Frank Clark, whom the team then signed to a five-year, $105.5 million contract.
Early returns on Clark were underwhelming. While few doubted he was a good player — and he clearly seemed to be the defensive leader the Chiefs wanted — his production didn’t seem to be matching his big contract.
In late October, though, we learned there was a reason: Clark had been playing through a neck injury that ultimately kept him completely out of two midseason games — and likely affected his play for weeks before that.