Patrick Mahomes loses another blindside protector when LT Wanya Morris injures knee on 1st play vs. Texans, leaving Chiefs to 3rd-stringer

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A battered Kansas City Chiefs offensive line took another big hit Sunday night. 

On the first play from scrimmage against the Houston Texans, starting left tackle Wanya Morris went down with a knee injury. 

The precise nature of the injury wasn't initially clear, but Morris clutched his left knee after falling on a run play. He remained down on the field in obvious pain as his teammates watched on in concern. He eventually limped off the field with the aid of two trainers, unable to put his bodyweight on his left leg. 

The Chiefs listed him as questionable to return with an undisclosed knee injury.

Morris is not Kansas City's regular starting left tackle. A third-year pro selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he was making his first start of the season Sunday night. Regular starter and rookie first-round pick Josh Simmons is on injured reserve with a wrist injury. The Chiefs also took the field without veteran right tackle Jawaan Taylor (triceps/knee) and Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith (ankle), who were both inactive for Sunday's game. 

Rookie Esa Pole, who had previously never played an NFL snap and wasn't listed on Kansas City's online depth chart prior to Sunday's game, took Morris' place at left tackle protecting Patrick Mahomes' blind side. 

Pole initially joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent this offseason, then joined the New York Jets when he didn't make Kansas City's 53-man roster. The Jets released Pole in October, and the Chiefs re-signed him when Simmons went on injured reserve. 

Now Pole is charged with protecting Mahomes' blind side as the Chiefs fight to make the playoffs.