The 5 most important second half players for the Kansas City Chiefs
By Matt Conner
Parker Ehinger
We’re three deep in the linebacker group here, so it’s time to take a break and acknowledge the mystery of Parker Ehinger. Last year, Ehinger was a promising fourth round draft pick who went from starting for the Cincinnati Bearcats to the Kansas City Chiefs without a single break. There was no earning his stripes. He was christened the starter by Andy Reid from the beginning. Unfortunately an ACL tear against the Indianapolis Colts ended his season prematurely.
It was assumed that Ehinger would reclaim his rightful place at left guard upon his return from injury, but so far Bryan Witzmann has refused to let go. Maybe that’s a good thing, that the Chiefs maybe have someone more talented at left guard. But the overall performance of the offense in recent weeks, especially the walls that Kareem Hunt continues to run into as soon as the ball is snapped, is forcing fans to look for someone to blame.
Maybe Ehinger still isn’t ready to start despite being a full participant in practice. Maybe it’s only a matter of time. Maybe Witzmann is the better answer and he’s finally ready and we’ve got the pecking order backwards. Either way, Ehinger is a familiar face who has yet to make an impact in 2017. He’s got 7 games left to make his mark.