Senior NFL writer believes Kansas City Chiefs' $80 million veteran offensive tackle could be a backup by Week 1
No position group will be under more scrutiny for the Chiefs in 2025 than their offensive line. Kansas City was able to patchwork the unit en route to the AFC's No. 1 seed and an appearance in Super Bowl LIX last season, but it all fell apart in front of the whole world during the […]
No position group will be under more scrutiny for the Chiefs in 2025 than their offensive line.
Kansas City was able to patchwork the unit en route to the AFC's No. 1 seed and an appearance in Super Bowl LIX last season, but it all fell apart in front of the whole world during the big game.
Left tackle in particular was a glaring weakness. After experiencing a turnstile of uninspiring options at the position in 2024, the Chiefs addressed it in a big way during the offseason, signing free agent Jaylon Moore and spending their first-round draft pick on Josh Simmons.
Moore and Simmons appear poised to battle it out for the starting left tackle job this summer, but that may not be the only position in play for Moore. According to Michael Silver, an NFL Senior Writer for The Athletic, the only locks to retain their starting jobs along the offensive line are center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith.
"There could be three full-fledged position battles on the Kansas City line this summer, with only Humphrey and Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith (who skipped OTAs while seeking a contract extension) considered locks to retain their starting jobs. Two returning Super Bowl starters, left guard Mike Caliendo and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, could be backups when the Chiefs open their season against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, Sept. 5 in São Paolo, Brazil."
We already know that second year man Kingsley Suamataia will be given every opportunity to secure the starting left guard job, but things have been relatively quiet regarding Taylor. Back in April general manager Brett Veach snuck in a low-key comment about Taylor rehabbing from a knee injury, but didn't seem overly concerned about his availability heading into 2025.
Given Taylor's salary cap hit is over $27 million in 2025, it seems logical that he would be locked in as the starting right tackle so long that he's healthy. However, if Simmons wins the left tackle job, Silver suggests that Moore could push Taylor over on the right side.
"Simmons, considered a potential top-10 pick, slid after suffering a season-ending torn patellar tendon in October. There was some concern that Simmons might not be fully healed before the start of the NFL season, but on Thursday, Reid said the rookie “looks strong” in OTAs and that “it looks like he’s in good shape.” If so, he’d be the front-runner for the left tackle job, with Moore also in the mix to start at right tackle."
Moore is also making a solid chunk of money after signing a two-year, $30 million contract with K.C. during the offseason. While that isn't as much as what Taylor is making, it seems likely that the Chiefs will have an expensive backup offensive lineman regardless or who starts.
Taylor is a big-time cut candidate for the Chiefs in 2026, as they could save around $20 million by parting ways with him. On the flip side, Moore's cap hit increases to over $18 million in 2026, making him safe to stay barring being a disaster on the field. Moore potentially unseating Taylor in 2025 could simply be speeding up the inevitable.
Kansas City Chiefs have two potential contract standoffs that could steal the spotlight during upcoming mandatory minicamp
The Kansas City Chiefs could have two contract-related situations to monitor during mandatory minicamp.
