Chiefs Get Incomplete Grade at Left Tackle, for Now

Writer says it's too early to tell whether the Kansas City Chiefs have solved their burning question heading into the draft.

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia (76) against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs had a bad year at left tackle. Even Swifties, with limited experience as NFL fans, knew it. Patrick Mahomes fell 36 times, the most regular-season sacks in his seven-year NFL career. In the Super Bowl, Philadelphia sacked him six times, his most single-game sacks ever.

While some teams enter the draft with less-than-obvious burning questions, Kansas City has one. Columnist Jeffri Chadiha on Tuesday explored whether the Chiefs have solved their left tackle issues.

“That’s a question that won’t be answered until we start watching real football games again,” said Chadiha, who initially called Mahomes one of the league’s three biggest losers after the first wave of free agency. “It’s hard to know what that position will look like come fall. The Chiefs’ most obvious option, free-agent signee Jaylon Moore, only started 12 games in his four seasons as a backup left tackle in San Francisco.”

Moore was a backup, but he backed up 11-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams. After signing a two-year, $30 million contract last month, he said he’s proud of what he’s put on film over those 12 starts. With Williams as a mentor, Moore set a high standard for himself.

In 2024, the Chiefs started three players at the position before shifting Joe Thuney from guard. Thuney finished the year as the blindside protector, but Kansas City traded him before he entered the final year of his contract.

“Of course, the trade that sent Thuney to Chicago also means there is no insurance plan in place if left tackle becomes a dumpster fire once again,” Chadiha said. “By the way, this doesn’t mean the Chiefs can’t improve at that spot. It’s just that there isn’t a whole lot to bet on at this stage of the offseason.”

Betting on the Chiefs at this stage, however, seems like a safe decision. Even with a revolving door at left tackle, one of the game’s most critical positions, they still finished 15-2 and earned a third-straight Super Bowl berth.

Plus, Mahomes has a lot of connections in the insurance industry. The Chiefs will surely use at least one of their eight selections to draft an offensive lineman with the potential to develop into a solid starter. For now, they appear content to allow Moore to give them his best shot at the start of the year.

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