Chiefs Coach Haley Talks About Benching Chris Chambers
The Kansas City Chiefs made it a priority to re-sign wide receiver Chris Chambers during the offseason but it looks like, for now at least, Chambers is no longer a priority.
Chambers was a healthy scratch for the second straight week when the Chiefs played the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday. Though Chambers has been listed as having a finger injury, Haley made it clear last week that the receiver could have played.
Haley was vague but has indicated that something is going on with Chambers.
“Chris had a little issue that he’s been fighting through and I think I said it from the standpoint that if he had to, he could’ve played but again, big picture for me as the head coach and what I’ve really been trying to promote and push is we need everybody and there are opportunities when one guy’s maybe not 100 percent that we have opportunities to get other guys into the mix and playing and developing,” Haley told reporters today.
Haley is putting on a coach-speak clinic here. He is saying a lot and yet saying nothing at all. Still the Kent Babb of the Kansas City Starr wasn’t going to give up that easily so Haley was asked more directly if Chambers needed to improve.
“I think everybody needs to improve, Kent, there isn’t any one person I would say on this team that doesn’t need to improve,” said Haley. “Chris is an important, important aspect of this team and he’s one of those veteran guys that I talked about last week that is selflessly helping young guys and trying to pass along knowledge and things that he knows that they may not know to help them be better players. Like I said, he’s fighting through a little something that for receivers is critical but Chris is going to be back and he’s going to be contributing physically for us hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Obviously Haley is unhappy with Chambers in some way. The Chiefs are so thin at WR that they cut an injured Jeremy Horne to promote Verran Tucker from the practice squad Saturday night and Tucker played over Chambers!
Haley seems to think Chambers will be back soon. If it is a matter of motivation, hopefully Chambers is getting Haley’s massage loud and clear. The Chiefs are going to need more hep at WR as the season wears on.
What do you think Addicts? What is going on with Chris Chambers?