Eric Fisher has gone from first overall pick to second string, but Chiefs coach Andy Reid says there’s nothing to worry about.
Fisher, the top pick in the 2013 NFL draft, has not played well in his first two NFL seasons. So when Fisher worked with the second-string offense at Organized Team Activities on Thursday, that looked like a strong signal that the Chiefs are disappointed with his development.
Reid, however, says he just wanted to see how 2012 third-round pick Donald Stephenson looked running with the first-string offense.
“That’s the only way you can get Donald some reps there,” Reid said, via the Kansas City Star. “We want to make sure we’ve got everybody covered. Actually, Fish has done a very nice job, so I wouldn’t read anything into that. We’re staying consistent.”
Reid is trying to put a positive spin on it, but the reality is, when you spend the first overall pick on a player, you hope he’s so firmly established as a starter by his third year that the idea of him taking second-team reps at OTAs would sound silly. With Fisher, it sounds reasonable. He hasn’t played like the franchise left tackle Kansas City wants him to be.