When Kansas City Chiefs starting left tackle Wanya Morris went down with an injury in Week 10, rookie Kingsley Suamataia replaced him in the starting lineup and struggled mightily.
“Still just a rookie with a little more than two games worth of action, Suamataia’s status as the weakest link in the offense could be exploitable in must-win games,” Joshua Brisco of Kansas City Chiefs on SI wrote on November 10.
To help resolve this issue, Brisco thinks the two-time defending Super Bowl champions should consider re-signing free agent OT Donovan Smith.
“Knowing the offense, Smith would have less of a learning curve in a return to KC and could provide a familiarity for Mahomes if the Chiefs were to make a change at left tackle,” Brisco explained. “Still, Morris would likely start with the inside track to retain the starting job. If Smith would return to Kansas City in a backup role, at least while he returns to practice and while Morris gets a few more games to show stability, the reunion would make sense. It would be a damning move for Suamataia, but it can’t do more to harm his confidence than his own poor performance has offered.”
Wanya Morris Put Back in Game Due to Poor LT Play
During the first quarter of Kansas City’s 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 10, Morris suffered an injury that had him in visible pain as trainers were looking at his right knee on the sideline.
During the second and third quarters as well as part of the fourth quarter, Suamataia replaced Morris in the lineup but struggled to protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘s blindside.
“(Broncos edge rusher) Nik Bonitto generated 6 pressures against the #Chiefs, including 3 pressures in under 2.5 seconds,” Nick Jacobs of KSHB 41 News wrote. “Bonitto generated 4 of those pressures on 11 1-on-1 matchups (36.4%) against backup left tackle Kingsley Suamataia per Next Gen Stats.”
As a result of Suamataia’s poor play, Morris went back in the game on Kansas City’s final offensive drive.
After the game, Tod Palmer of KSBH 41 News provided an update on Morris’ knee and how close the Chiefs were to shutting him down for the game.
“X-rays were negative on Wanya Morris’ knee,” Palmer wrote on November 10. “I’m told the @Chiefs were very close to shutting him down, but ultimately the knee felt good enough that he was able to return with Suamataia struggling.”
Chiefs Have Cap Space to Add OT Depth
Brisco’s idea is a solid one. Adding Smith, who was a starter for the Chiefs in 2023, as depth along the offensive line would ensure Kansas City doesn’t suffer from volatile play at left tackle moving forward.
Considering he is a free agent heading into Week 11, it’s very possible the Chiefs could sign Smith to a veteran minimum deal. Per the NFLPA Public Salary Cap Report, the Chiefs have $6.3 million in cap space, which gives them plenty of financial flexibility to work out a deal with a player like Smith, who could play meaningful snaps for Kansas City down the stretch if things go badly for the Chiefs at left tackle.
