KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Second-year offensive lineman Zach Fulton is back where he began with the Chiefs in 2014.
The 6-5, 316-pound Fulton, who started all 16 games at right guard his rookie season, replaced second-year pro Laurent Duvernay-Tardif at the position Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Oct. 4, 2015; Cincinnati; Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) looks to pass as right guard Zach Fulton (73) blocks against the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. (AP Photo/Gary Landers)
And Fulton apparently isn’t coming out of the lineup anytime soon.
“I’ll probably end up sticking with Zach right now,” coach Andy Reid said Monday during a media conference call.
Reid adds he intends to discuss matters with offensive line coach Andy Heck, but Fulton should man the right guard spot when the Chiefs host the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 5.
“Right now, I’ll probably tell you yes,” Reid said.
The Chiefs have been in search for the five best offensive linemen since the offseason and went through numerous personnel groupings in the months leading to the regular season.
Fulton moved to center during training camp, even starting at the position in the preseason finale, and is currently listed on the depth chart as the primary backup to rookie center Mitch Morse.
Duvernay-Tardif, who started the first three games, found himself with the starting unit the final week of training camp after projected starter Jeff Allen suffered a knee injury in the preseason opener.
The Chiefs experienced even more transition along the front five when Eric Fisher suffered a high-ankle sprain, which contributed to the signing of Jah Reid the week before the regular season began. Reid started the first two games at right tackle, but has been inactive the past two contests.
The lack of continuity has arguably contributed to the Chiefs allowing 19 sacks through four games, including five on Sunday. Quarterback Alex Smith leads the league in times sacked with 18.
But with the bad comes some good, as Andy Reid indicated he liked what he saw out of Fulton against the Bengals.
“I thought Zach did some good things,” the Chiefs head coach said. “I take into consideration it was his first time going and playing a full game. I keep that in mind. Can he continue to get better? Absolutely, there are things he needs to keep working at, but I thought overall he did some good things.”
Fulton played all 75 snaps on offense and seven snaps on special teams in Week 4, while Duvernay-Tardif and Allen each played seven snaps on special teams and none on offense.
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Herbie Teope is the lead Chiefs beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @HerbieTeope.
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