Nov 9, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe (92) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Orton (18) during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
One of the most important battles in Kansas City Chiefs training camp was going to be a fight for the right to spell one of the team’s rising stars, nose tackle Dontari Poe. Poe has shown moments of brilliance and consistent dominance in his three years as the anchor of the defense, but Poe has continually shown signs of wearing down as the seasons have progressed, and stats make the problem easy to identify.
Now, the problem is given even greater urgency after Andy Reid said on Tuesday that Poe has undergone two epidurals and surgery for a herniated disk in his back after injuring it during OTAs.
If there’s good news, it’s that the problem is largely the same for the Chiefs. Someone has to take some of Poe’s work. The bad news is that the problem is even more pressing than it was through the offseason, and now Poe could miss regular-season games with no clear replacement to step into his shoes.
The bad news is that the problem is even more pressing than it was through the offseason, and now Poe could miss regular-season games with no clear replacement to step into his shoes.
In his first season (2012), Poe led Chiefs defensive linemen with 743 defensive snaps; no other defensive tackle had more than 150. In 2013, Poe had 975 – seventh-most among all defensive linemen in the NFL, and most among interior defensive linemen. Among the rest of the Chiefs, no true interior lineman played more than 50 snaps. In 2014, Poe’s 944 snaps again led the NFL among interior defensive linemen. Two linemen who occasionally spelled Poe in 2014, Vance Walker and Kevin Vickerson, are now with the Broncos and Jets.
Before his back injury that now makes his future questionable, Poe was certainly the favorite to lead the NFL in snaps among interior defensive linemen for the third consecutive season, which would rack up more than 3,500 defensive snaps in four years. While Poe is a force deserving of plenty of playing time, he cannot be expected to play one of the most physically demanding positions in sports at this volume for a 10-year career. He shouldn’t even be expected to take his typical workload through 16 games.
Next: Where do Chiefs go from here?