Brandon Siler Could Be The Chiefs’ Wildcard On Defense

When talking about the 2012 Kansas City Chiefs defense, fans rarely mention ILB Brandon Siler.

And why should they?

Siler seems like just a guy we heard about last offseason. A former Charger the Chiefs inked in free agency, Siler blew out his Achilles’ early in training camp and was not heard from again.

The Chiefs extended Siler’s contract in January, which is surprising considering he never played a single regular season down for the team. Obviously, Siler impressed Scott Pioli during the time he was active.

Unfortunately, despite his injury coming over ten months ago, Siler is still not practicing fully but he is getting close.

“It’s been frustrating,” Siler told KCChiefs.com. “My momma brought it to my attention that I haven’t been out of football this long since I was seven years old, and that kind of puts everything in perspective. Football is what I do.”

Before his injury, there were some fans who were wondering if Siler might push Jovan Belcher for a starting position alongside Derrick Johnson. Belcher has been a solid player for the Chiefs but he does lack some athletic talents. His position is often one pointed to by fans as one that could be upgraded.

Siler was predicted to go as high as the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft, however he slipped all the way down to the seventh. He played mostly a special team/reserve role in San Diego but flashed some play-making ability, especially in goal line work. He’s a physical player who is seen as more of a run stopper than a coverage guy, though he does have two career interceptions.

It will be interesting to see how his time out with injury impacts his play upon his return. Belcher is the presumed starter but Siler will certainly be given a chance to prove his worth.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Siler make a push for the starting job but probably not until the season gets under way.

What do you think, Addicts? Is Siler a hidden gem or just a backup?