Kansas City Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles ready to return

For the first time since tearing his ACL in October, running back Jamaal Charles will be on the field with the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday.

Charles was activated from the physically unable to perform list and returned to limited practice.

Charles, 29, and the Chiefs have said they will be cautious as he works back from the knee injury. He was hurt in Week 5 last season, and the Chiefs still earned a wild-card spot with a committee approach led by Charcandrick West.

But as Charles returns, West will be idle because of a mild strain of his left elbow. He was hurt in last Saturday's preseason game against Seattle.

"It wasn't a dislocation, a sublux or anything like that," said Chiefs head trainer Rick Burkholder. "He was fine after the ball game. He came in (Sunday) very swollen, very stiff. So we did an MRI. He damaged some muscle and a little bit of stretch on a ligament. He's literally day-to-day."