As Chiefs plug gaps along offensive line, attention turns in-house at this position
On the heels of an offseason unlike any other, in which practice fields remained vacant and plays were installed virtually, the consistency of the Chiefs’ offensive personnel would qualify as an advantage this training camp.
But there are some notable exceptions. The two starting guards from last year’s Super Bowl are gone — Stefen Wisniewski left via free agency and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif elected to opt out of the season — leaving two new starters on a five-man line.
One potential solution isn’t actually new at all. He’s quite familiar with this organization, this offense, this role.
Andrew Wylie has started 21 games for the Chiefs over the past two seasons, some at left guard and some at right guard. The job was actually his at the open of last year, only to see injuries upend his season. By the time he was healthy, his spot was gone. He didn’t dress in the Super Bowl.
“It was great to watch my brothers go out there and win the Super Bowl and have all those great playoff wins,” Wylie said. “But I’m ready to go out there and do it myself this year.”
A late-season high-ankle sprain transformed Wylie from starter to spectator. He got healthy for the playoffs, but the Chiefs didn’t want to tinker with what appeared to be working. So he sat.
As he returns fully ready in 2020, he provides the Chiefs familiarity as a potential replacement. And he provides a key element to a team defending a Super Bowl championship — hunger.
For all of the talk of complacency after winning a title, it doesn’t apply to Wylie. He secured a ring. He didn’t secure the satisfaction of being on the field for it.
Which, he said, provided plenty of motivation for the offseason, when he turned his apartment complex and neighborhood parks into running tracks.
“Absolutely. I mean, my main goal is to play a full season and make it all the way through playoffs,” Wylie said. “We got some really great competition too this year, in the interior O-line. That also makes it really motivating, too.”
Indeed, the Chiefs left themselves plenty of options to occupy the two guard spots vacated by Wisniewski and Duvernay-Tardif. Wylie can play on either side of center Austin Reiter. He’s started at each spot.
The Chiefs also brought in Kelechi Osemele, a two-time All-Pro (2016, 2017). They have versatile Mike Remmers, acquired in free agency.
But Wylie is the guy who’s been here. The guy who’s already earned this job in the past, even if he didn’t finish the season with it.
“I’m a big fan of Andrew’s since he got here,” Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck said. “The guy shows versatility, toughness. And he’s gotten better every year that he’s been here. So we’ve got him working in there at guard. He’s off to a good start, along with some other guys. He’s now a couple years in our system. He’s played a lot of ball for us. So I feel like he’s picking up the finer points. But he’s off and running and off to a great start.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM.