RM Chiefs’ Offensive Line Faces Another Setback as Wanya Morris Is Lost for the Season with Knee Injury

Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Wanya Morris will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury sustained during the first play of their Week 14 “Sunday Night Football” loss to the Houston Texans, ESPN reports. The injury occurred when Morris’ left knee hyperextended at a severe angle, though the broadcast refrained from showing replays. Clips on social media captured the gruesome moment.

Morris had been filling in as the starting left tackle due to regular starter Josh Simmons being placed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery to repair a dislocated and fractured left wrist. Simmons had sustained the injury during the Chiefs’ Thanksgiving Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys. In the wake of Morris’ injury, undrafted rookie Esa Pole, who had only recently been promoted from the practice squad after Simmons’ injury, took over at left tackle during the 20-10 defeat to Houston.

More Injuries Pile Up for Kansas City’s Offensive Line

Morris’ injury is the latest blow to the Chiefs’ already depleted offensive line. In addition to Simmons, Kansas City is also without Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith and right tackle Jawaan Taylor.

Here is how the Chiefs’ offensive line looked in Week 1 and after the Texans loss:

• Left Tackle: Josh Simmons (Week 1) / Esa Pole (Week 14)
• Left Guard: Kingsley Suamataia (both Week 1 and Week 14)
• Center: Creed Humphrey (both Week 1 and Week 14)
• Right Guard: Trey Smith (Week 1) / Mike Caliendo (Week 14)
• Right Tackle: Jawaan Taylor (Week 1) / Jaylon Moore (Week 14)

With these injuries, the Chiefs have had to shuffle their offensive line constantly, using a total of 17 different line combinations so far this season. The original starting five from Week 1, which had played 379 snaps together (the 14th-most of all line groups), has only played together in two games since Week 6.

In addition to the injuries, Simmons, the Chiefs’ second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, missed five games (Weeks 6-10) for personal reasons. Smith sustained an ankle injury in Week 12, while Taylor has been dealing with both triceps and ankle injuries.

What’s Next for Kansas City?

As of now, both Smith and Taylor were listed as doubtful heading into the Texans game, but neither player has been placed on injured reserve yet, which could be a positive sign for their potential return. Simmons, however, will miss at least another three weeks after being placed on IR.

If Taylor returns soon, the Chiefs could move Jaylon Moore back to left tackle, where he filled in during Simmons’ first absence earlier this season.

It’s been a challenging year for the Chiefs (6-7), with a constantly shifting offensive line, as well as struggles in other areas. In the Week 14 loss to Houston, Patrick Mahomes threw three interceptions and was sacked twice. This marked Mahomes’ fourth career game with three interceptions and his first without a passing touchdown.

Currently, Kansas City sits in the No. 10 spot in the AFC standings, two games behind the No. 7 seed held by the Texans, and one game behind the No. 8 Colts. Although the Chiefs have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Indianapolis, they do not over Houston.

Looking ahead, the Chiefs face a tough road. In Week 15, they will host the Chargers, whom they lost to in Week 1. Their remaining games include matchups with the Titans, Broncos, and Raiders. SportsLine currently gives the Chiefs only a 9% chance of making the playoffs, marking a significant challenge for a team that hasn’t missed the postseason since 2014.