A commendable response in the face of adversity.
The Kansas City Chiefs had to do something. Everyone at Arrowhead knew it, too.
The play at left tackle has been frustrating over the last couple of weeks in particular and a consistent issue all season for the Chiefs, who are 11-1 despite such concerns and myriad injuries. At first it was the discovery of Kingsley Suamataia to be unprepared for the starting role at the NFL level after investing considerable reps (and a second round pick) during the spring and summer.
Backup tackle and second-year lineman Wanya Morris took over in Week 2 and never looked back for the most part, providing decent-enough play to keep the Chiefs from making a move while attending to other positions. The trade deadline even came and went and things looked as if the Chiefs were going to ride it out with Morris.
Then came a knee injury that forced him to leave the team’s game against the Denver Broncos earlier in November. Suamataia came in to relieve Morris but Patrick Mahomes and the offense looked miserable as pass rushers had a clear path to the Chiefs’ quarterback. Morris eventually came back in the game despite playing through pain.
It’s important to note here that Morris was dealing with a bone bruise in the preseason when trying to compete with Suamataia in the first place. Then against the Broncos, the knee injury was a “re-injury” of it, which head coach Andy Reid later clarified as the same bone bruise. He added that Morris will sometimes re-aggravate it during a game.
As for what else the Chiefs can do? Well, fans saw it on Black Friday when limits were reached and Joe Thuney was shifted over from left guard to take over the role. From now on, D.J. Humphries will likely slide in and end this entire conversation for the rest of the year—or at least those are the hopes. Then again, a 30-year-old lineman coming off of an ACL injury shouldn’t be discussed with any long-term certainty.
Back to Morris, who was benched for the duration of the Chiefs’ win over the Raiders in Week 13. Fans were tired of watching his performance up front and the Chiefs’ actions speak for themselves. However, a young player doing his best to protect Mahomes while playing through pain deserves credit. Then came his response to reporters following the game—note: immediately following the game in the “safe space” of a locker room with cameras and microphones shoved in one’s face.
Classy from Wanya Morris: "Execution wasn't there today, I have to be better." — Knows he has plenty to work on but determined to get better. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/Tngci2YUIO
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) November 30, 2024
In what could have been a very unfriendly moment, Morris held his head high and gave the most admirable response that a young man could. In that moment, he revealed his character and showed why the Chiefs are likely going to get a lot more good production than bad from him going forward.
“Hey man, [the] execution just wasn’t there today,” said Morris. “I have to be better. Things won’t always go your way, but it’s how you respond. So I can either lay down or I can get up, go back in there Monday and learn something new, get better. So that’s what I’m doing: go get better.”
The Chiefs have signed Humphries and Morris is now the backup while Suamataia is sitting and learning. That will hopefully be the pecking order for the duration of this Super Bowl three-peat chase. But Morris’ response brings hope for his future with the Chiefs, one that is hopefully pain-free.
