Kansas City, MO – In a move that’s sending shockwaves through the NFL trade rumor mill, the Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly in the final stages of negotiating a deal to ship out offensive tackle Wanya Morris – once hailed as a “3rd-round steal” from the 2023 draft – to the struggling 0-3 Tennessee Titans in exchange for a future draft asset, sources close to the negotiations confirmed to Grok Sports on Wednesday.
The deal, which could be announced as early as Thursday ahead of Week 4 matchups, would see the Chiefs part ways with the 24-year-old Morris, who has been relegated to fourth-string status on Kansas City’s depth chart this season despite showing flashes of potential in prior years. Selected 92nd overall out of Oklahoma after transferring from Tennessee – an ironic twist given his destination – Morris signed a four-year, $5.36 million rookie contract with Kansas City, including a $904,260 signing bonus. While he’s contributed to a Super Bowl-winning roster as a depth piece, his limited snaps in 2025 (just a handful in mop-up duty) have made him expendable for a Chiefs team prioritizing contention.
For Tennessee, the acquisition addresses a glaring need on their porous offensive line, where rookie quarterback Cam Ward – the No. 1 overall pick this year – has been under siege. Ward leads the league with 15 sacks taken through three games, hemorrhaging 105 yards in the process, though he’s shown signs of adaptation with his sack rate dropping from 17.7% in Week 1 to 9.5% in Week 3. The Titans’ troubles stem partly from injuries, including right tackle JC Latham’s ongoing hip issue, leaving them scrambling for reliable protection. Morris, with 15 career starts (including 11 in 2024), steps in as an immediate upgrade over current backups, offering versatility at both left and right tackle.
“Many of Ward’s issues are a result of a glaring lack of pass protection,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wrote in a recent trade proposal that eerily mirrors this developing deal. “Bringing in Wanya Morris could provide Tennessee with a capable starter while JC Latham recovers from injury.” Kay pegged the cost at a sixth-round pick – a low bar for a rebuilding Titans squad unwilling to mortgage higher assets but desperate to safeguard their franchise QB’s development.
Kansas City’s willingness to move on isn’t surprising. Despite a gritty win over the New York Giants on Sunday, the Chiefs’ offense has sputtered without the returns of Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (injury), and their tackle duo of Jawaan Taylor and Josh Simmons has been plagued by penalties and inconsistencies. Taylor, in particular, has drawn fan ire for false starts and holdings, fueling calls to bench him in favor of offseason signee Jaylon Moore ($30 million over two years). Morris, who started four games as a rookie in 2023 and filled in admirably during 2024’s playoff run, was once seen as a long-term solution but has fallen out of favor under Andy Reid’s staff. Trading him now nets the Chiefs a future pick (likely a fifth- or sixth-rounder in 2026 or 2027) to bolster their draft capital without disrupting their Super Bowl aspirations.
This isn’t the first time Morris has been shopped; offseason buzz linked him to teams like the Atlanta Falcons in a cornerback swap proposal. But with the November trade deadline looming and Kansas City eyeing tweaks rather than overhauls, offloading a benchwarmer for value makes strategic sense. Titans GM Mike Borgonzi, who overlapped with the Chiefs during Morris’s draft year, reportedly pushed hard for the reunion, leveraging his familiarity to seal the low-cost acquisition.
For Tennessee, mired at 0-3 after a 41-20 drubbing by the Colts, this could be the spark needed against a brutal Week 4 slate at Houston. Ward’s poise is emerging, but without better trench warfare, his “quest to keep [him] upright” – as Kay put it – remains in jeopardy. Morris isn’t a Pro Bowl talent, but his size (6’5″, 320 lbs) and experience (37 college starts at Tennessee and Oklahoma) provide a safety net during Latham’s recovery and Dan Moore Jr.’s underwhelming play at left tackle.
Chiefs Kingdom might feel the sting of losing a homegrown talent, but in Reid’s empire, depth is king – and future picks fuel the dynasty. As one league source quipped, “It’s shocking only because it happened so fast, but not because it makes sense.” Stay tuned for official confirmation, but the “steal” from 2023 could soon be Tennessee’s gain.