The Kansas City Chiefs have seldom played rookie OT Wanya Morris this season. The former third-round draft pick sits squarely behind starting left tackle Donovan Smith on the depth chart. Outside of playing occasional snaps on special teams, Morris has only seen action when Smith has come off the field for injury.

Morris played five offensive snaps in place of Smith in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Smith suffered a stinger during the game against the Raiders, and he was forced out of the game for the remainder of a series in the third quarter. This was Morris' second time filling in briefly for Smith this season, with the first time coming against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7. 

The rookie managed to have several positive plays in just five snaps without Smith. 

Is Wanya Morris the future left tackle for the Chiefs?

Here's a look at all of Morris' five snaps from Week 12, courtesy of KSHB-TV producer Nick Jacobs:

Here were Wanya Morris’ snaps when filling in for Donovan Smith. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/ZiNXtpin2x

— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) November 29, 2023

Two of the five snaps from Morris resulted in a knockdown, including a snap against Raiders first-round draft pick Tyree Wilson. Morris did allow pressure in one of his five snaps, but as you can see in the clip above, the third-round rookie wisely runs his man up the arc and gives Patrick Mahomes a clear path to scramble, buy time, and find an open Rashee Rice for a positive gain. 

Of course, the final snap was a one-yard touchdown run for Chiefs starting RB Isiah Pacheco. Basically, Morris wasn't a detriment at this crucial juncture of the third quarter and helped keep the drive alive long enough for the team to score. That's about the best thing you can possibly ask of a rookie, especially one who is coming into the game cold off of the bench without many snaps under his belt.

Andy Reid gives positive evaluation of Wanya Morris

Chiefs HC Andy Reid was asked about Morris' Week 12 performance during his media availability on Wednesday. Reid was impressed with what he saw in the small sample size, and he specifically mentioned the physicality with which Morris played.

"You know what, (ESPN Reporter) Adam (Teicher)? He did a nice job," Reid declared. "He played well for the couple of plays that he was in there. Physical. Good to give him a couple of reps in there."

The fact that the team has such trust in the rookie to put him in the game at a big moment speaks to how he's impressed the coaching staff in practice and the meeting rooms. His performance on the field is just the icing on the cake and it should earn him more opportunities within the offense moving forward.

Patrick Mahomes earns AFC Weekly honors for first time in 2023

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is on the board as AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season.