:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47084054/usa-today-8755430.0.jpg)
We went through most of the offseason thinking the Kansas City Chiefs leader in the center battle was Eric Kush, who had lined up there during spring workouts. At some point early in training camp Mitch Morse took the starting job and hasn't looked back.
So, what do the Chiefs do with Kush then? He was on the roster the past two seasons as the backup center and did not play at all (besides the 2013 backup bowl in San Diego). so it's definitely possible the Chiefs plan to keep him on the roster even if he's not playing.
What makes me wonder about this a little bit more is looking at the roster to see if the Chiefs have someone else who could play center in a pinch in addition to play another position. That way you don't have to use a roster spot on someone who offers apparently no positional versatility. (It's not that Kush can't play guard ... it's that the Chiefs never put him there)
This takes us to a question in Andy Reid's press conference earlier this week. Someone asked Reid if he was comfortable playing Zach Fulton at center in a real game.
"I'm going to give him a few reps this game. Right now, I feel pretty comfortable about it unless something changes in the game. I think he needs that work, I think that will be good for him."
Interesting. Fulton has taken practice reps at center before. And if a reporter was asking that question to Reid, I would be willing to bet that it was because Fulton was taking reps at center that day. (I wish I could have been at practice that day but SB Nation meetings took me to sunny Austin, Texas this week and now all I can think about are those delicious breakfast tacos. Mmm ... tacos.)
IF Fulton has been taking some center reps, and IF the Chiefs are comfortable with him finishing out a game if Morse gets hurt ... then, yeah, it's fair to say that Kush is on the roster bubble. It's always a difficult call when you're dealing with backup players because you don't need them until someone is hurt. Then you really, really wish you had them.