"Being out of a job and with the playoffs beginning, Kevin Curtis was sitting around at home in Miami already planning for next season.

"I thought the year was over," he said.

That was before the Chiefs, in their time of need, summoned the veteran wide receiver. He could be a key figure for the Chiefs in Sunday's first-round playoff game against Baltimore at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs began preparations Wednesday without their Pro Bowl wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe, as well as their Pro Bowl guard, Brian Waters. The Chiefs listed both players on their injury report as ill and wouldn't speculate whether they would be available to play against the Ravens.

The last time the Chiefs listed a player as having an illness, quarterback Matt Cassel had an appendectomy and missed a game last month in San Diego.

Otherwise, the Chiefs have had extraordinarily good fortune with injuries this season. Among their key offensive players, Dexter McCluster missed five games and offensive linemen Branden Albert and Ryan Lilja and tight end Tony Moeaki missed one apiece.

That good fortune ends abruptly if Bowe and Waters don't play on Sunday. The Chiefs signed Curtis to give them another body at wide receiver. He played in two games earlier this season with the Dolphins, catching one pass.

Waters' spot in the starting lineup was taken by rookie Jon Asamoah.

"He knows this system," coach Todd Haley said of Curtis. "What they're running down there in Miami is very similar … so that's an edge. That will give him a chance to come in and get him in the mix. He's got some mileage on the tire but it looks like he's done a good job of keeping himself in shape."

That he's 32 and out of a job at a most crucial time of the season would indicate Curtis has little to offer. But he had a big season for the Eagles as recently as 2007, when he caught 77 passes and scored six touchdowns.

He played in a similar offensive system with the Dolphins, so the Chiefs' playbook should be familiar.

"I'll be brought up to speed and I'm preparing to play," Curtis said. "I'm ready to do whatever I'm asked, whatever that may be. I'm not here to just come in and enjoy the show. I'm here to learn the playbook and if called upon, I'll be ready to go."