Chiefs Turn to Jack and Jeff Bassa After Cooper McDonald Injury, Steve Spagnuolo Reveals

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Chiefs Turn to Jack and Jeff Bassa After Cooper McDonald Injury, Steve Spagnuolo Reveals

Heena Singh

Thu, Sep 17, 2026 ·

3 min read

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The Kansas City Chiefs did not get much time to adjust after losing Cooper McDonald . The second-year linebacker suffered a knee injury during Monday night's win over the Denver Broncos and is expected to miss at least four weeks after being placed on injured reserve.

That leaves the defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, with another adjustment to make on a defense that already has several new pieces. This time, he has two names in mind. Jack Cochrane and Jeff Bassa will have to pick up the work McDonald leaves behind.

Steve Spagnuolo Turns to Jack Cochrane and Jeff Bassa

Kansas City Chiefs, Steve Spagnuolo — Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Spagnuolo spoke about the situation after practice and made it clear that Cochrane's versatility could be especially useful. The veteran linebacker has already spent time moving around the Chiefs' defense, which gives the coaching staff someone familiar with different responsibilities.

"Jack's always been like a reliable, steady football player for us… He's one of the guys who plays all the spots… He'll get in there. Jeff Bassa is going to pick up a little of that slack for Cooper (McDonald)…. Hopefully, Jack and Jeff can fill in there."

Versatility has been another strong trait for Cochrane since he has played a number of linebacker positions. This is something that Nick Bolton has also stated about Cochrane recently, as he mentioned that Cochrane plays WILL, MIKE, BUCK, and SAM positions in the scheme of the Chiefs.

Bassa will bring an entirely new d imension to the team. As Bassa has joined the Chiefs as a rookie selection in the fifth round from Oregon in the year 2025, his first year in the NFL has been spent in the special teams. With Leo Chenal now in Washington, though, his opportunity on defense has grown.

Spagnuolo has been impressed b y what he has seen out of the youngster. The competition has become even more significant after McDonald was placed on IR. McDonald made one start during his rookie year and was becoming a reliable member of the special teams unit, recording 25 tackles for the season. He was also becoming a more important player in the defensive scheme, leading up to 2026.

His injury occurred while covering a kickoff against the Broncos. The Chiefs hope to see him back this season, but must make do without him for now.

This presents another difficulty for Spagnuolo. In addition to the transition that the Chiefs' defense is currently going through, which has involved several new starters and players being asked to do more, the secondary has had some issues with injuries. These include rookie first-round pick Mansoor Delane. Spagnuolo has admitted that he has been disappointed in how the new look defense has performed. That makes having players such as Cochrane, who already know the system, particularly useful.

The Chiefs did look sharp defensively in their 31-10 win over Denver, holding Bo Nix to 115 passing yards and producing three sacks; however, the personnel keeps changing, and McDonald's injury is the latest adjustment.

Now, Cochrane and Bassa get their opportunity. Spagnuolo does not need either player to become McDonald's overnight.

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Steve Spagnuolo Turns to Jack Cochrane and Jeff Bassa

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