KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Spencer Ware’s great fortune came at the grave misfortune of a teammate and friend.
Ware earned his old job back and is now the Chiefs starting running back after Kareem Hunt was cut from the team on Friday. That came after TMZ releasedvideothat showed Hunt shoving and kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel in February.
Ware has worked hard to get back to full form following a horrible knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2017 season. That also allowed Hunt, a former third-round pick from Toledo, to get his chance. Hunt’s fast start earned him the starting job, which he would never let go until Friday’s aforementioned release.
Ware’s game against the Oakland Raiders (2-10) was the first time he had started since week 16 of the 2016 season. That was a 33-10 Christmas night win over the Denver Broncos where he rushed 16 times for 63 yards.
Spencer was not spectacular against Oakland on Sunday. He rushed 14 times for 47 yards and one touchdown. He ultimately knows that his performance wasn't pretty. But Ware helped the Kansas City Chiefs (10-2) earn a hard-fought 40-33 victory in the place they call the black hole.
He was just happy to contribute to the team goal of beating the Raiders.
“It was good. It was exciting for me. It was good to play with my teammates,” Ware said. “We got the W. We came here and handled business.”
Ware said that he had not had an opportunity to talk to Hunt since the tape’s release and subsequent release from the team.
“We had work today. We had business that we had to take care of. So, we tried to stay distraction-free,” Ware said. “What we have going on in our locker room is what we have going on. We’re brothers. We’re a team and we’re close. And, we won’t let anything that happened on the outside dictate or control what we have on the inside.”
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was one of Ware’s biggest supporters, in the locker room, following their game at Oakland.
“We have all the confidence in the world in [Ware]. I mean, he’s been doing it for a while now. And, he’s been a staple for this organization since he’s been here,” Kelce said. “[He] worked his tail off to get in the position that he is. Got back from an injury last year that, you know, set him back.
“He wasn’t allowed to be a part of what we were doing last year. And, just to see him back out there having the success that he’s [having], bringing the energy every single run that he has cause he’s a vicious runner. I love him,” Kelce said.
Wide Receiver Chris Conley also shared Kelce’s feelings on support for Spencer Ware.
“100 percent [confidence in him]. You know, Spencer Ware’s been here. Spencer Ware has made those plays. Spencer Ware has won games for the Kansas City Chiefs,” wide receiver Chris Conley said. “So, we have no doubts in his abilities and what he can do. We just expect him to step in and step up.”
While Spencer has fresh legs and subsequently feels the healthiest he’s been in over two seasons, some may say that his subpar performance against Oakland was solely on him. However, his teammates on the offensive side of the ball shouldered much of the blame.
“I think Spencer Ware stepped up. He had some big plays. Damien Williams had some big plays today too. We rely on those guys as well. They were prepared,” Conley said. “You know, as an offense, I think we all need to get better. We need to open up some of those lanes for them as well. And, we weren’t very strong in the run game today. And, I think most of that was on us and the perimeter blocking. And, we can be better with that.”
The Chiefs next regular season game is a home contest at Arrowhead Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens (7-5) who are also fighting for a playoff spot. Kickoff for that game is at 12 p.m.
