Insider Confirms Chiefs' Left Tackle Plan for D.J. Humphries Against Chargers

All season long, the Kansas City Chiefs' left tackle play has been less than ideal. That trend somehow became even worse in recent weeks, leading to the club's signing of veteran D.J. Humphries as a late-year addition to the room.

Now that he's had some time to get acclimated, there will be a new role for the 30-year-old offensive lineman. According to a Sunday morning report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, Humphries will indeed be starting at left tackle on Sunday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers. It'll be his first regular-season start since Week 16 last year, making it nearly a calendar year since Humphries has suited up for a game.

"Newly signed Chiefs left tackle D.J. Humphries is expected to start Sunday night vs. the Chargers and be in charge of protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside, per sources," Schefter wrote. "Humphries will become the third different player that Kansas City has used at left tackle the past two games."

Schefter's report confirms what others have alluded to this week. On Thursday, Nate Taylor of The Athletic said on KC Sports Network's "Only Weird Games" that "barring something unforeseen," Humphries would get the nod. On Saturday, Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest formally reported that Humphries was also set to start.

The hope for Kansas City's sake is that Humphries, a former Pro Bowler with the Arizona Cardinals, will prove to be an upgrade over what the reigning champs have fielded recently. Second-year man Wanya Morris has struggled immensely dating back to aggravating a bone bruise in Week 10, and rookie Kingsley Suamataia clearly isn't ready to play. Head coach Andy Reid wouldn't officially announce a starter earlier this week, instead pitching a "we'll see" approach that Humphries himself echoed in Derrick's story.

Everyone seems to be a fan of how Humphries has carried himself in just a couple of weeks. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy points to his "infectious personality," and quarterback Patrick Mahomes praised the team's newest offensive signing on Wednesday.

"You see how talented he is," Mahomes said. "The physical gifts are there. It's been cool to watch him interact with other guys, too. You can tell he's smart, he's willing to teach guys, which is big in that room, we've got a lot of young guys there. I've been very impressed, and I'm excited for him to get more and more work with more and more practice, and hopefully be ready to go as soon as possible."

After being sacked 12 times in his first seven games of the season, Mahomes has been taken down a staggering 20 times in his last five. That includes four-sack games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos and back-to-back five-sack contests versus the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders.

Keeping the face of the team – and sport – clean is paramount and with the postseason approaching, Humphries will be given a chance to do just that.

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