After getting exposed in Super Bowl LV the Kansas City Chiefs got all hands on deck to shore up their offensive line ahead of the 2021 season. Their offense continued its run of dominance in the AFC as the unit grew into a huge asset for Patrick Mahomes down the stretch.
Looking to keep their momentum in 2022, Kansas City’s big nasties are hard at work at training camp. They have even started to impress some of the talent on the other side of the ball with their effectiveness in practice. The middle of the line caught third-year defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton’s eye on Wednesday, and in his comments to the media, he made it known just how difficult they are to compete against at camp.
“I think they, those inside guys, (Joe) Thuney, Trey (Smith) and Creed (Humphrey), those guys give you good looks,” He explained. “Some top guys in the league and they’re going to go all out every day. They’re not coming in just to get through practice, they come in to work. As far as my rookie year, there’s definitely a leap but the guys who were in my rookie year still give us good work, (Nick) Allegretti, all those guys still come in and work.”
Wharton has engaged in some great battles with Smith during the course of training camp this year. He says the friendly competition is something that he relishes as they both seek to improve their game.
“Trey (Smith), there’s just been something since his rookie year,” Wharton said. “In the locker room, we’re talking like, ‘Oh yeah, you got me today but tomorrow we’re coming back at it.’ It’s just a friendly competition but we know we’re going to get each other better every day.”
If there was any doubt about the team’s depth along the offensive line, Wharton’s comments should clear up any qualms fans may have with the state of affairs regarding the protection of Kansas City’s franchise quarterback. Additions made in free agency and the draft could prove to make the rich even richer.
Two thing remains certain; iron still sharpens iron and a team can never have too many talented players to keep their quarterback upright. To hear Wharton tell it, the trench warfare taking place in St. Joseph may prove to be a vital teaching tool for players on both sides of the ball.
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