Chiefs DE Frank Clark Has Been Playing Through Pinched Nerve All Year

It's fair to say that Frank Clark, the Kanas City Chiefs' prized offseason trade acquisition, hasn't been close to worth the haul that general manager Brett Veach sent to the Seattle Seahawks-- a first- and second-round pick.

That package became even more significant when the Chiefs subsequently handed him a massive five-year, $104 million contract extension, which includes $63 million in guarantees.

Well, we might finally have an explanation for the 26-year-old edge rusher's lack of production in 2019. After Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans, Clark revealed that he's been playing through a pinched nerve all season.

Frank Clark says he’s been dealing with a pinched nerve all season https://t.co/glSJfDLbMO
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 11, 2019

Speaking to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, Clark said, "I've been playing kind of timid this whole season. That’s why I’ve been kind of slow. I’ve had a pinched nerve since the end of training camp. I’ve been playing through it. It just got to a point where the (expletive) was so serious, it was sending burning sensations down my arm."

To make his predicament all the more alarming is the fact that the Michigan product disclosed that he had to take the necessary precautions to ensure that playing through the injury wouldn't, in any way, hinder his life after football, going as far as to reveal he couldn't feel two of his fingers.

Frank Clark told me he’s been dealing with a pinched nerve since training camp. Couldn’t feel two of his fingers. “I’ve been playing timid.”
— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) November 10, 2019

Clark had missed the Chiefs' previous two games with that same neck injury, but it's evident that he wants to push through the pain.

"I’m a football player at the end of the day," he continued. “So I’m going to play through everything. If they tell me I can go, I’m going to go. It's just frustrating, man. You don’t want to be hurt and deal with (expletive) that involves nerves. That’s the nature of the game."

Here's Frank Clark's full quote on his neck injury that's plagued him for much of this season. pic.twitter.com/4RxYV0o2BF
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) November 10, 2019

Neck injuries, as we know, are incredibly concerning, so it's fair to assume that the former second-round pick won't be fully healthy for the remainder of the season and he'll have his health monitored closely each week.

On the year, the 26-year-old has recorded 21 tackles, two forced fumbles, five QB hits and four sacks.