Report: Chiefs Benching Former Cardinals OT

Former Arizona Cardinals OT D.J. Humphries won't start despite being healthy.

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman D.J. Humphries (74) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

When Arizona Cardinals fans tune in to see the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend for playoff football, they won't see a familiar face.

Former long-time Cardinals starter at left tackle D.J. Humphries has been benched ahead of Kansas City's matchup against the Houston Texans according to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler:

"#Chiefs plan to start Joe Thuney at left tackle Saturday vs. #Texans, per sources. D.J. Humphries is healthy, but Thuney, a Pro Bowl guard, flourished in tackle relief while Humphries was hurt. So, Chiefs prepared to ride the hot hand."

#Chiefs plan to start Joe Thuney at left tackle Saturday vs. #Texans, per sources. D.J. Humphries is healthy, but Thuney, a Pro Bowl guard, flourished in tackle relief while Humphries was hurt. So, Chiefs prepared to ride the hot hand. pic.twitter.com/ep1vvU8VGL

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 17, 2025

Humphries - who tore his ACL at the end of the 2023 season - was released by the Cardinals early last offseason and worked his way through rehab before eventually landing in Kansas City towards the end of the 2024 regular season.

It was thought to be a perfect match, as Humphries believed he still had some gas left in the tank, and Kansas City needed some more protection for Patrick Mahomes ahead of their attempt to become the first ever team in NFL history to three-peat as Super Bowl champions.

"I told my kids, 'Dad's going to get fired. I'm not going to be on the Cardinals anymore.' I didn't even know how to explain it to them, just to kind of give them a heads up before they went to school and their friends are telling them," Humphries previously said on his release from Arizona.

"My son didn't even know the magnitude of football and all that stuff, but he goes to school and he finds out what's going on like that, you know? I wanted to give him a heads up.

"My son, Dash, immediately no batting [of] an eyelash, didn't care about me getting released. 'I really want you to go to Kansas City so you can play with Patrick Mahomes and probably win a Super Bowl.' I was like, 'Yeah, son, thank you!' He didn't have a care about what was going on. His automatic mind was like, 'You should go to the Chiefs.'"

Humphries started two games for Kansas City, though he's been dealing with a hamstring injury that saw Thuney fill in for his place.

At least for now, Humphries is relegated to a bench role.