KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Andy Reid said in training camp that, in his mind, the Kansas City Chiefs had six starting offensive linemen because they thought so much of Zach Fulton, the one who was left out of the lineup.
That number is down to five starters and Fulton is no longer a backup. He’ll be the starter at left guard on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars and beyond. The Chiefs lost the previous starter, rookie Parker Ehinger, in last week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts and he is headed for the injured reserve list.
Fulton, a former starter for the Chiefs, can handle the job. But Ehinger’s loss hurts the Chiefs from the standpoint of depth and continuity.
The Chiefs have Jah Reid and Jordan Devey to step in at guard if necessary and both have started some NFL games. But the Chiefs aren’t as comfortable with either player in their lineup as they are with Fulton.
The Chiefs were also hoping to keep their line intact after using eight different starting combinations last year. Injuries early in the season forced them to shuffle some personnel but the Chiefs had been able to get back to their original line in recent games, and the results showed.
