The Kansas City Chiefs had to do a major offensive line reconstruction after the 2024 season.
What was a fantastic season for the Chiefs ended partially due to the amount of injuries that plagued the offensive line. Several changes have been made since last season, most notably the trade of legendary guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears in the offseason.
The Chiefs chose to extend the much younger Trey Smith and let Thuney help mold a growing, hungry Bears team in Chicago.
Thuney ended up playing left tackle in the playoffs because everyone was injured. Kansas City made it a priority to draft a stud left tackle in the draft, but also to add depth in free agency. Kansas City signed swing tackle Jaylon Moore to a big short-term deal, and the move finally paid off in Week 6.
“So the Chiefs signed Moore, who had been a swing tackle in San Francisco, for two years and $30 million,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote Wednesday. “The move was criticized in some places as insufficient, since Moore had never been a starter and likely wasn't the answer at left tackle. But the Chiefs believed they'd take a left tackle in the draft. They hoped it would be Josh Simmons, and it was -- but not knowing that in March, they thought Moore would be a competent placeholder if the rookie wasn't ready right away.
“Fast forward to Sunday, when Simmons was a surprising late scratch for the game against Detroit because of a personal matter. Moore stepped in and played left tackle and held up well in the latest strong performance by Mahomes and the Kansas City offense. Would he have been the answer if he had to play left tackle all season? Maybe not. But Kansas City signed him as part of a larger plan, and it has come together the way they hoped. It's a reminder that not every free agent signing has to be a grand slam, instant-solve-the-problem move. Roster building is complex, and some teams are better than others at seeing the bigger picture.”
Head Coach Andy Reid declined to offer a timeline on when Josh Simmons will return to the team, according to Sam McDowell.
If Simmons misses more time, Moore will continue to see a bigger role with the Chiefs.