The Kansas City Chiefs’ road to back-to-back Super Bowl titles last season wasn’t smooth, with various players going down due to injury. The offensive line shuffling forced the team to count heavily on young players and depth.
Wanya Morris saw plenty of action at left tackle due to an injury to Donovan Smith. While the results of his time in action were mixed, the 2023 rookie gained valuable experience.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach revealed that he wants to see Morris compete for a starting spot on Kansas City’s depth chart next season.
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“I think we were really happy with Wanya’s development last year,” Veach explained. “I think he showed some signs early on [in] the OTAs that we were really excited about, continue that growth and maturation process during the training camp. Then, middle of the season there, he got an opportunity, some good, some bad.
“I think Wanya would tell you this: If you look at his body of work last year, on the one hand, you’re happy that he was able to come in at the pro level and be competitive. It wasn’t perfect. But it was also solid play that I think is a good foundation to build and grow on.”
Morris started in four of the 14 games he played last season; the third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft proved he’s worthy of being in the conversation to start, but according to Veach, he has more work ahead of him.
“He has to come in here with the mindset that we’re going to look to bring in competition,” Veach continued. “He’s got to come in here and win that position, and it’s his job to come in and be prepared to win that position. I think it’s our job to go out there and find competition, you know, for that left tackle spot.
“I think, again, there’s a lot of promise in there. There’s a lot of ability. But certainly, I think it’s our job to bring in some competition there. Make him earn that and work for that.”
Veach is focused on the flexibility of his offensive line, hoping to draft or acquire players who can play multiple positions. Morris is heading into his second season with a great opportunity as the offensive tackle position battle will be one to watch in training camp.