In their best win of the season so far in Week 7, the Kansas City Chiefs lost a valuable defensive contributor in Omarr Norman-Lott. The talented rookie will now miss the rest of the season, leaving a position that already lacked in depth and quality severely short-handed. So far, the Chiefs have refused to bring in any reinforcements to address the absence. This has raised expectations among the fanbase that a trade may be coming before the November 4 deadline.
On Thursday, however, head coach Andy Reid poured cold water on these expectations.
Andy Reid Not Ready to Press Panic Button Following Omarr Norman-Lott's Injury
Discussing the state of the defensive tackle position, Reid said, "I'm good with where we're at. I thought Omarr was coming on for sure. He's going to be a good football player after he gets this thing worked on," per Chiefs insider for AtoZ Sports, Charles Goldman.
The Chiefs currently only have Jerry Tillery and Derrick Nnadi, in addition to Chris Jones, on the interior defensive line. Both Tillery and Nnadi have struggled immensely in their defensive snaps this season. In fact, Nnadi ranks as the worst interior defender in the league per Pro Football Focus with a 30.0 defensive grade. Although slightly better than his fellow defensive tackle, Tillery is 100th among 124 eligible players in the position.
As a result, the Chiefs are a bottom-ten unit in the league in PFF's run defense grades. They also allow the tenth-most yards per carry. It's clear that the defensive line has been underperforming, but Reid's unwillingness to acknowledge it is surprising. Perhaps even more important than the quality is the lack of depth, and that is something the Chiefs need to address.
This could be coachspeak from Reid in order to motivate his players. Saying that he trusts the defensive line may not actually mean that he is entirely happy with the rotation. Or, it could mean that he is considering other alternatives, perhaps on the practice squad.
The Chiefs have three defensive tackles on the practice squad. Marlon Tuipulotu, Zacch Pickens, and Brodric Martin are all veteran DTs who could provide much-needed depth to the interior defensive line. The Chiefs could elevate one of these players to the active roster for the Monday Night Football matchup against the Commanders. That will give us a better idea of how Reid sees this rotation and whether the fans should expect a move before the trade deadline.