Arrowhead Pride
The Chiefs’ head coach explains Wanya Morris’ injury and discusses their current situation at left tackle.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Wanya Morris briefly left the game in the second quarter of Sunday’s victory over the Denver Broncos. Head coach Andy Reid later revealed he aggravated a bone bruise in his right knee – an injury Morris has been dealing with all season long.
“He (Wanya Morris) got on the stationary bike where he was waiting to get the thing (injury) under control there,” Reid said after Wednesday’s practice session. “He tweaks it every now and then and that’s what happens, so he comes out and he’s able to go back in.”
As Reid mentioned, Morris returned to the game to help the Chiefs close things out in the fourth quarter. On Wednesday, Morris was listed as a full participant in practice. However, Reid also acknowledged that a bone bruise is the type of injury that may unfortunately linger throughout the season.
“He’s (Wanya Morris) not doing anything to hurt it worse, that’s not what’s going on,” Reid clarified. “These things are a little bit like a high ankle sprain where you bring them back and they tweak it and they sit for little bit, it calms down, come back out and they go. It’s a different injury, but I mean, it’s what he had.”
During Morris’s absence on Sunday, the Chiefs turned to rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia. The second-rounder began the season as the starting left tackle but was benched after a tough performance in Week 2 against Cincinnati pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who recorded two sacks against the Chiefs after beating the rookie on several occasions.
Suamataia struggled once again on Sunday when called into action, but Reid says he’ll continue to be patient with him, understanding the learning curve that comes with such a complex position like left tackle.
“You’ve got good players on the other side that play against that left tackle,” Reid explained. “When you’re young, there’s going to be a couple hiccups in there. You’ve just got to bear with it as they grow.”
Although Morris has been solid since taking over the starting left tackle spot from Suamataia in Week 3, the Chiefs’ offensive line as a whole has struggled recently, allowing four sacks in each of their past two games. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes took responsibility for some of those sacks while emphasizing his trust in his teammates regardless of who was playing at the tackle positions.
“I believe in those guys,” Mahomes said. “I believe in all the guys that are on that field with me. I believe in my teammates because, more than even on the field, I see the work they put in every single day and how hard they work to go out there and execute at a high level. There’s times where I need to get rid of the football and I take some unnecessary hits as well. It’s about coming together as a team and being...
