Spencer Ware, De’Anthony Thomas earn valuable playing time against Bears

The Kansas City Chiefs at least know they’re making decisions about healthy players with the way Spencer Ware and DAT showed up against the Bears.

For a team to make roster decisions at the end of a training camp and preseason is always a difficult enough exercise, but it can be even tougher if everyone is not on equal footing. Some players who are injured or at least nursing some older injuries can make decisions even more tough because a team has to gauge when those players might have something to add against those already readily available.

Fortunately for the Kansas City Chiefs, a couple key players who could factor into the offense and return game in particular helped clarify things—or at least set themselves on level ground—with the rest of the roster by playing against the Chicago Bears. During the team’s recent loss to the Bears on Saturday, the Chiefs were able to see both running back Spencer Ware and wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas play several snaps on the field. That’s a good sign for both the players and the team.

When it comes to both players, imagine how tough it would be for general manager Brett Veach and his staff to determine how to exactly handle both players if neither would have been able to suit up. That was entirely possible even on the day of the game as Andy Reid explained both players would be evaluated during warm-ups to see if they’d go ahead and play.

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For Ware, knowing that he can play and be ready for a game is nice to know now that some further decisions are going to be made in what has been a crowded backfield. The team already released Charcandrick West, who caught on with the New York Jets, but they still have to make a decision on Ware, who was once their lead back only two seasons ago and newer faces like Darrel Williams, Kerwynn Williams and Damien Williams. The latter seems like the best lock for the roster, but the Chiefs might be reticent to let any of them leave.

Ware rushed only 3 times for 3 yards so that might make it difficult to tell just how healthy he is for the regular season, but if he says he’s good to go, he also caught a 17-yard pass for the offense and caught 2 of 3 targets on the day. His presence would give the Chiefs a proven two-way threat that could spell Kareem Hunt and give the security, depth and experience at the position they never had last season.

Speaking of Kerwynn Williams, he will be in competition more at returner than he will against Thomas, which is important to see that DAT could handle a few returns on the day. Thomas ended up the team’s only punt returner on the day and took one forward for 36 yards. He also handled 1 kick return and went another 36 yards. Tremon Smith was the only other player given significant return opportunities on the day, which might show us the two players primarily in position for those reps.

It’s impossible to tell what decisions will make about DAT and Ware at this point, but at least the Chiefs aren’t having to guess what they can bring after suffering major injuries. These guys can play and that makes the field level for the difficult decisions to come.