Was Steve Breaston Benched Because Of An Interview He Gave…To KCChiefs.com?

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Former Kansas City Chiefs WR, Steve Breaston, joined the Danny Parkins show today on 610 Sports Radio today. The Chiefs released Breaston yesterday.

Breaston was a class-act throughout the interview. He mainly talked about how he really didn’t understand why he was benched by Romeo Crennel last season. He refused to really single anyone out as being to blame for the situation. He reiterated over and over again that he just tried to keep his head down and work hard until he was given an opportunity and that he was disappointed that no opportunity was never given.

But while Parkins was asking Breaston if he ever got any kind of explanation as to what might have happened to lead to his benching, the former Chiefs said something ver interesting about an interview he gave last offseason.

"They really didn’t give me a clear-cut answer. One of the things was, I said in an interview prior to the season that I played outside in Arizona. And I’ve played outside but I’ve also played int he slot and I don’t know if they, they told me that I was, my coach had told me that I said that. But I mean, I also played in the slot the year before so why won’t you put me back in, within the slot and help contribute that way? Or even outside where I had. They never had a clear-cut reason why they didn’t play me. I didn’t want to be a cancer to the locker room so I took my lumps and continued to work."

Parkins, to his credit, picked right up on the weird interview statement and followed up. He asked Breaston who told him that they were upset about his interview where he mentioned not playing in the slot.

"It wasn’t upset. It was nothing upset. I had went and asked how come I haven’t gotten no slot reps and they was like ‘well you had said in an interview that you didn’t play in the slot.’ But what does me saying anything in an interview have to do with my productivity on the field or anything like that. It was things like that. I mean, I never got a clear-cut reason why I wasn’t playing. It was frustrating in that way."

I tracked down the interview I think Breaston was talking about. Surprisingly, the interview was with the team’s very own website, KCChiefs.com.

Here is what Breaston said:

"“It’s funny, a lot of people are always talking about me being a slot receiver, but my whole career, I’ve been outside,” Breaston clarified. “Last year was my first year that I even attempted at being the slot.“Even when I was at Arizona, Q (Anquan Boldin) was mainly in the slot. I played opposite of Larry (Fitzgerald) outside.”"

The article itself seemed to support the idea that Breaston had not been traditionally a slot receiver.

"When Jonathan Baldwin returned from a preseason thumb injury nearly three months into the Chiefs 2011 regular season, most assumed veteran Steve Breaston would shift inside as the team’s slot receiver.It was a shift that never fully materialized.While Breaston saw some snaps as the team’s slot receiver, most of his plays came as an outside target opposite Dwayne Bowe.In fact, Baldwin would play more inside snaps than Breaston last year."

"One of the biggest misconceptions among fans and media in Kansas City has been labeling Breaston as the Chiefs’ slot receiver.He’s smaller and faster than both Bowe and Baldwin. In addition, Breaston played third-fiddle to Fitzgerald and Boldin throughout most of his tenure with the Cardinals.Assuming Breaston lines up inside is a common mistake, especially when he’s put into motion.However, Breaston isn’t opposed to moving inside if the Chiefs new playbook under offensive coordinator Brian Daboll calls for it. The limited snaps Breaston took out of the slot late last season helped him prepare for whatever role Daboll has in mind.“I played outside the whole path, but I think last year when I went into the slot, I learned a lot being there,” Breaston said. “I can play every position. That’s no problem for me. I think I’m more comfortable with it than in years before.”"

Ok, so what the heck? Why would the Chiefs’ coaches even bring up this interview when Breaston was asking during the 2012 season, why he wasn’t being played?

I mean, it seems like Breaston was going to them and offering to do pretty much anything to get on the field and all the Chiefs offered him was a “well you said you don’t play in the slot so you’ve made your bed and now you have to lie in it” kind of response.

What in heaven’s name was wrong with what Breaston said in that KCChiefs.com interview?

I am not much into conspiracy theories but when people suggest things like that maybe since Breaston was a Todd Haley guy that Pioli wanted him phased out of the offense and then I hear about weird conversations like the one Breaston mentioned, I can’t help but wonder.

It is just another one of the bizarre and unsettling stories to come out of the Scott Pioli regime.

What do you think, Addicts