The Kansas City Chiefs flashed their Super Bowl-winning form in Thursday's 34-20 Week 1 home win against the Houston Texans.

It wasn't a completely positive night for the defending champions, though. Steve Spagnuolo's defense lost another key contributor, as starting cornerback Charvarius Ward fractured his hand.

Ward exited the game after suffering the injury during the third quarter. Head coach Andy Reid acknowledged the fracture in his postgame remarks, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the team will re-examine the injury Friday and determine a timeline for his return to the field.

Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders also left the game early with an elbow injury, while defensive end Alex Okafor was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

The Chiefs' other experienced cornerback, Bashaud Breeland, is currently serving a four-game suspension, so losing Ward is less than ideal. If he can't play next week, Kansas City will likely roll with second-year man Rashad Fenton and rookie L'Jarius Sneed as their starting corners going forward. Fenton took over after Ward went down in the second half. Sneed impressed in his NFL debut, picking off Deshaun Watson pass in the fourth quarter and returning it for 39 yards.

Breeland tweeted his support for the Chiefs' young secondary after Ward went down.

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Antonio Hamilton will likely serve as the slot corner, unless the team rolls the dice with 2020 seventh-round pick Thakarius “BoPete” Keyes, who was inactive Thursday. Kansas City also has corners Chris Lammon, Rodney Clemons and Lavert Hill signed to the practice squad.

Either way, the cornerback position is thin for the Chiefs at the moment, and how Spagnuolo holds down the fort until Breeland and Ward's respective returns will be something to watch over the next month. On the other hand, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire now a part of the best offense in football, the Chiefs might be able to overcome any temporary defensive issues.