'They stand in a really good place' — NFL insider reaffirms what the Chiefs' top priority was during the offseason
When the Chiefs enter an offseason with a glaring need, general manager Brett Veach makes it his top priority to fix it. When Kansas City had its offensive line debacle in Super Bowl LV, Veach drafted center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith, then signed free agent left guard Joe Thuney and traded for […]
When the Chiefs enter an offseason with a glaring need, general manager Brett Veach makes it his top priority to fix it.
When Kansas City had its offensive line debacle in Super Bowl LV, Veach drafted center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith, then signed free agent left guard Joe Thuney and traded for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
The Chiefs lost several starters on defense following the 2021 season, and Veach rebuilt the unit with the likes of defensive end George Karlaftis, cornerback Trent McDuffie, and safety Justin Reid. These changes resulted in K.C. winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023.
Veach found himself needing to solve another crucial area during the 2025 offseason. Although they maneuvered through almost the entire 2024 season without a legitimate starting left tackle, it caught up with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, getting crushed by the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22.
Since then, Veach has signed Jaylon Moore in free agency, and used his 2025 first-round draft pick on Josh Simmons. Moore has spent his four-year NFL career backing up a future Hall of Famer in Trent Williams, but does have 12 starts under his belt. Simmons was arguably the most talented offensive lineman available in the draft, but a torn patellar tendon in his left knee caused him to fall down team's draft boards.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, spending significant resources to solidify the left tackle position was the Chiefs' top priority during the offseason.
From Ian Rapoport on NFL Network: "To me, they stand in a really good place. What the Kansas City Chiefs did was not just draft Simmons in the first round, and you're right, [Simmons] fell to them, but this is someone I think they really secretly had their eyes on the entire time. They were really happy with where he was medically coming back from that torn patellar tendon. Not all teams were sure about this one. The Chiefs were really happy with where he was. I think they tried to keep it quiet, because this is the player they wanted because he's such an unbelievably talented tackle, despite the injury. But, they also don't want to rush it. They're giving him some time off during the spring. They're making sure he has days to rehab and rehabilitate. They also signed Jaylon Moore to come in and be their left tackle until whenever, basically until Simmons is ready, or maybe the entire year. Maybe Simmons starts out as the swing tackle. The most important thing for the Chiefs is they have talent there, and they have depth there to not be caught short at one of the most important positions on the football field. And seeing the resources that they used to address this really underscores how important and essential they believe a good left tackle is."
Acquiring two starting caliber LTs was necessary for the Chiefs. Not only will they be covered if there's an injury, but one of them could replace Jawaan Taylor at right tackle in 2026. It appears that Moore and Simmons will compete for the starting LT job during training camp in late July, but both could prove to be valuable for K.C. in 2025.
