The Kansas City Chiefs' depth at offensive tackle has weathered numerous challenges over the last few seasons, and 2025 has been no different. Both left tackle and right tackle have experienced injuries that have forced the team to alter game plans up front, and the bad news continues to pour in as the Chiefs prepare to host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.
The Chiefs have placed offensive tackle Wanya Morris on injured reserve before Week 15, which effectively ends his third NFL season—unless the franchise makes an against-all-odds run toward the postseason. Morris will have to miss four games with his IR placement, which is exactly how many games Kansas City has remaining on its regular-season slate.
Morris was already ruled out for the Chiefs game against the Chargers, so the news of his absence in Week 15 is no surprise. The loss of Morris for the rest of the season, however, is noteworthy in how it affects the team's ability to handle any further concerns up front as they continue to deal with injuries to the starting bookends late in December.
The placement of Wanya Morris on injured reserve places even more stress on the Kansas City Chiefs' offense at the season's most critical point.
Left tackle Josh Simmons is already on IR and scheduled to miss at least every game through Week 17 with a wrist that's both fractured and dislocated. On the right side, Jawaan Taylor was ruled out for the second consecutive week with a triceps injury suffered against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13. In addition, right guard Trey Smith will also miss Sunday's game, which means K.C. will lean on three backups for the second consecutive contest.
In Simmons' place, Esa Pole will handle left tackle duties after performing admirably in an emergency substitute role in Week 14's loss to the Houston Texans. Jaylon Moore will replace Taylor at right tackle.
The loss of Morris on the depth chart, however, makes tackle a precarious position for K.C. If anything were to happen to Moore or Pole, even for a series, the Chiefs would likely ask the newly elevated Chukwuebuka Godrick to handle duties or slide Kingsley Suamataia outside while sending Hunter Nourzad into the starting lineup at left guard. If all of that sounds scary, that's because it is.
The Chiefs already have zero margin for error down the stretch due to their current 6-7 record. Injuries have decimated their depth, placing even greater demands on a premium position at the most arduous point of a long season.