The Atlanta Falcons were in the market for some offensive line depth in the early stages of the 2026 summer doldrums, as going into the year with Jack Nelson and Storm Norton as the backup tackles may lead to a nightmare scenario if Jake Mathews were to go down with an injury. They found a trade partner in the Kansas City Chiefs, acquiring backup tackle Wanya Morris.
Morris, who was picked No. 92 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Chiefs agreed to explore trade options after his path to a starting role was all but shut down. Jordan Schultz is reporting that Atlanta and Kansas City struck a deal to acquire send Morris and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Falcons for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Morris certainly did not live up to expectations, but Kevin Stefanski has shown to be a decent judge of offensive line talent going off his tenure with the Cleveland Browns. Perhaps he knows that he is getting a steal in this trade due to the unique athletic gifts Morris still has entering Year 4.
Falcons trade for Chiefs OT Wanya Morris
Chiefs fans aren't exactly too morose about Morris leaving town, as his play was so uneven at times that it prompted them to use a first-round pick on Josh Simmons in the 2025 NFL Draft to prevent him from getting snaps at left tackle. With Jaylon Moore kicking to right tackle, Morris seemed destined for a year on the bench.
The Falcons seem to be very interested in what the Chiefs were working with on the offensive line last year, as they added Morris in just a few weeks after they brought polarizing Kansas City right tackle Jawaan Taylor over to Atlanta. Time will tell if the change of scenery will do either of them any good.
Falcons fans would likely be happy if Morris doesn't see the field very much in 2026, as it means that both Taylor and Mathews stayed healthy and performed well in Year 1 of the Stefanski regime. However, the Falcons need to plan for the worst-case scenario, and both Matt Ryan and Ian Cunningham did just that with this trade.
In the modern NFL, there is no such thing as having too many qualified offensive linemen, and Morris is still young enough to where he has some untapped potential that can be unearthed in the right situation.
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