Former Kansas City Chiefs center Mitch Morse hasn’t even started his first full season with the Buffalo Bills and he’s already in concussion protocol.
This was always the danger when signing Mitch Morse to any long-term deal. The talent is there. The ceiling is even higher. The work ethic, personality, leadership—none of these are concerns. On and off the football field, Mitch Morse is an asset to any team in the NFL.
Unfortunately, Morse has also suffered plenty of injuries in his career—especially head injuries that can become such a worrisome issue for everyone watching Morse play. The latest bout came less than a week into his first training camp with the Buffalo Bills with news that he’s entered the team’s concussion protocol.
Chiefs Kingdom will certainly feel horrible for Morse and this turn of events after watching him suit up for the Kansas City Chiefs for the last four years. He’s been an incredible and intelligent anchor along the offensive front, a rare asset capable of filling the shoes of Rodney Hudson when he first arrived as a second round pick out of Missouri.
This offseason, the Chiefs decided to move on from Morse but that certainly wasn’t linked with his talent. The Chiefs had major bills to pay with Tyreek Hill and Chris Jones while also completely remaking a defense in a single season as they try to maximize every opportunity with Patrick Mahomes under center.
Morse struck it rich with the Bills in March with the sort of payday that most players dream of. He became the NFL’s highest paid center with a four-year deal worth over $44 million. From there, the Bills continued to remake their offensive front and were looking forward to a year of real growth on offense for Josh Allen and company.
Now Morse’s availability likely becomes a real factor. Morse had core muscle surgery already last season and comes with a fairly long (and concerning) history of concussions. After missing training camp practice a couple days in a row, Morse was placed in the team’s concussion protocol. For a player who averaged only 9 starts the last two seasons, this isn’t a good sign.
To date, Morse has had three concussions, core muscle surgery and a lingering foot sprain that kept him out multiple games. Players get injured and there’s nothing teams can do, but Morse’s history with head injuries heightens the emotions around this latest bit of news. Here’s hoping Morse can find sustained success in Buffalo and that this is more precautionary than anything.