Chiefs’ Kendall Reyes looks to get more time as injuries mount

One of the highlights for Jacksonville in last week’s game against the Chiefs was Chris Ivory’s 42-yard run that pulled the Jaguars out of a field-position hole. Along the way, Ivory trucked safety Ron Parker and for a moment had plenty of open space before him.

What also should be memorable about the play is how it ended. No tackle was credited as Ivory ran out of bounds … just before the Chiefs’ Kendall Reyes wrapped his arms around Ivory’s legs.

That’s 300-pound Kendall Reyes who started the play with his hand in the dirt, lined up at defensive end in the gap between the guard and tackle and wound up catching Ivory.

“You just got to stop the ball,” Reyes said. “All I’m thinking is stop him and survive to play another down.”

That series ended with an incomplete pass on fourth down and the Chiefs went on to a five-point victory. Reyes finished with two tackles, his first stops in a Chiefs uniform.

Reyes was signed on Oct. 18, the day Allen Bailey was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Two weeks earlier, Reyes had been released by Washington, where he had signed earlier in the year and appeared in two games.

But the Chiefs were familiar with Reyes for his previous four years with the Chargers. He was San Diego’s second-round pick out of Connecticut in 2012. He became a starter in his second season and had 13  1/2 sacks in his four years.

As the Chargers eyed and eventually drafted Joey Bosa with the third overall selection, Reyes’ future was in doubt and he signed a free-agent deal with Washington. But he lost his job to former Missouri standout Ziggy Hood.

The Chiefs were in the market for interior-line assistance with Bailey’s injury, and with another defensive end, Jaye Howard, listed out with a hip injury for Sunday’s game at Carolina, the signing seems even more fortunate.

“Reyes has gotten a lot of snaps over the years, we’ve played against him, and we’re glad to have him on board,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.

Having battled the Chiefs twice a season through his four years with the Chargers gave Reyes a level of familiarity when he entered the locker room.

“This has always been a good defense, always up there in the defensive categories every year,” Reyes said. “Guys like Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, I’ve always had a lot of respect for those guys and I’m glad to be a part of them now.”

The confidence in Reyes, and his comfort in the Chiefs’ schemes, has been reflected in playing time. He got two snaps against the Saints, three against the Colts and 12 in last week’s game.

“He’s turned out to be a real good addition for us,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said. “He’s a veteran who has played in a lot of games, has good instincts and awareness. That helps us a lot.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Chiefs’ Kendall Reyes looks to get more time as injuries mount."