The Kansas City Chiefs will be without third-year LB Willie Gay Jr. for the next four games due to suspension.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke to the media on Wednesday for the first time since Gay Jr.’s suspension was announced by the league. He provided some insight into the timing of the decision on the suspension, explaining that the team had some advance notice that it was coming.
“So, they went through Brett (Veach),” Reid said. “Probably a better question for Brett. Not sure what we can and can’t say about that. I’ll probably leave it at that. We had an idea, we had a heads up on it.”
The team was aware after Gay Jr.’s off-field incident from last January was resolved that he would be subject to the league’s personal conduct policy. Reid said they expected something would happen and they did their best to be ready now that it has.
“We had an idea something was going to happen,” Reid said. “So we tried to prepare for it as best we can in case it did.”
The team has five linebackers on the 53-man roster and another on the practice squad, so they’re certainly not hurting for depth at the position.
One big concern with this entire situation is Gay Jr.’s mental health. He’s been open with his mental health struggles since last October and recently opened up to media members about the premature birth of his son.
Ensuring that Gay Jr. is in a good place mentally in light of his suspension is a priority for the Chiefs. Reid feels they have a proper support system in place to help him through it while he’s away from the team.
“The league is very sensitive to issues off the field,” Reid said. “They’re also sensitive to the mental health part of it. Willie and I had a nice visit. You know we’ve got doctor (Shaun Tyrance VP of Player Services and Assessment) here. Doctor T has talked to him. The position coaches talked to him. Brett (Veach) talked to him. So, he seems to be in a good place right now. He loves to play the game. It’ll be a long four weeks for him, but he’s allowed to come back here after two weeks. He’s in as good of a place as he can be. We’ll be in touch with him and stay in touch with him.”
As for replacing Gay Jr. on the field, Reid says that one veteran player will get the first crack at playing in his place.
“Darius Harris can fill in there,” Reid said. “We have people that can fill in, but Darius has a chance to step in there.”
Harris, an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee, has been with the team since Steve Spagnuolo’s first season in 2019. Brett Veach tabbed him as a future starter, and for the next four weeks, he’ll get his chance.
“Well, he’s coming off of a good preseason,” Reid said of Harris. “He kind of knows everything. He’s a sharp kid. He’s tough and has a good concept of the defense. I think he’ll do a nice job. Physically, he’s (a) good size.”
A “good” preseason might be an understatement. Aligned as the MIKE linebacker in preseason Week 3, Harris had a three-snap stretch where he singlehandedly thwarted every play by the Green Bay Packers. That’s the type of instincts and playmaking ability that Kansas City could use in Gay Jr.’s absence.
“He’s smart, he’s instinctive, he’s tough and he’s got a good grasp of the defense,” Reid said of Harris. “Spags does a lot with the scheme and you’ve got to be able to process all of that. He does a good job with that.”
There is little doubt that the Chiefs will miss what Gay Jr. provides on the field, but there seems to be a lot of confidence that the defense won’t miss a beat with Harris in there.
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