Chiefs Win the Wanya Morris Trade After Atlanta Waives Him
Atlanta waived Wanya Morris before Week 1, leaving Kansas City with the better future pick and flipping the June tackle trade decisively toward the Chiefs.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- player Wanya Morris
- pick 2027 seventh round pick
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick 2027 sixth round pick
Trade Summary
Atlanta’s June trade for Wanya Morris looks substantially worse after the Falcons waived him on August 30 before he played a regular-season snap for them. Atlanta had sent Kansas City a 2027 sixth-round pick and received Morris plus a 2027 seventh. The Falcons effectively paid a one-round late-pick downgrade for a short offseason evaluation, while Kansas City upgraded its draft position and lost no 2026 regular-season production.
Trade Analysis
What Changed After the Trade
Atlanta acquired Wanya Morris and a 2027 seventh-round pick from Kansas City in June for a 2027 sixth-round pick. At the time, the deal looked like a modest bet on a young tackle with starting experience, and Atlanta received the early edge because the draft cost was only a one-round late-pick downgrade. That premise changed on August 30, when the Falcons waived Morris while setting their initial 53-man roster. He never produced a regular-season snap for Atlanta.
Why Atlanta's Grade Falls
The Falcons did receive months of offseason and preseason evaluation, so the transaction was not literally worthless. But the football asset they targeted failed to survive to Week 1. Atlanta still surrendered the better draft pick and retains only Kansas City's seventh-rounder from the package. That is a poor conversion of draft capital, especially because the original argument for the trade was that Morris could provide scarce tackle depth.
Why Kansas City's Grade Rises
Kansas City moved a player it was willing to trade and upgraded from a future seventh to a future sixth. Once Atlanta waived Morris before the regular season, the Chiefs' downside became much smaller. They did not give away a contributor who immediately helped another team; instead, they extracted a better draft asset from a player who could not secure Atlanta's roster. That is strong value preservation.
Final Verdict
Kansas City moves to a B+ and Atlanta falls to a D+. The Chiefs now own the clear current-read win because the draft upgrade remains while Morris delivered no regular-season value to Atlanta before being waived. The Falcons could still soften the loss if Morris returns to their practice squad and later contributes, but as of cutdown day the original Atlanta-win verdict is no longer supportable.