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For the Kansas City Chiefs to find success on offense, quarterback Patrick Mahomes must have time in the pocket. Two worrying offensive line minicamp storylines have put that goal into question.
Firstly, left tackle Josh Simmons’ weight has been a point of discussion all offseason. Simmons played between 285-290 lbs in 2025. He stated he is trying to get to 300+ lbs in 2026. Ultimately, the NFL prefers their blindside protector to offer mammoth size.
Still, the Chiefs believe in Simmons’ versatile game. He will need to continue proving himself. But Kansas City isn’t hitting the panic button over the tackle’s current physique, via Jesse Newell of the Athletic.
I think all of that gets back to the original point with Simmons. In a normal circumstance, do you want a 290-pound left tackle? No,” Newell wrote. “With Simmons, though, the Chiefs seem to be content with a player who seems to be an anomaly in the best sort of way.”
Perhaps what is more concerning is what is going on at right tackles. The Chiefs paid Jaylon Moore $30 million to play the position in 2025. But now, he is in a legit three-way battle for the starting role.
“It’s a much more real battle than I expected, that’s for sure,” Newell said. “Two months ago, I would’ve told you that Moore was a shoo-in for the starting right tackle spot. It’s difficult for coaches to hide how they feel about players during open practices, though, and it’s clear from being out there that the Chiefs are giving long looks to second-year player Esa Pole and rookie Kahlil Benson.”
To Moore’s credit, outside of his contract, he has 70 games of NFL experience with 17 starts. Pole has just five games while Benson is a rookie. By pure experience, Moore should have the upper hand.
But he must earn the starting role, the Chiefs don’t plan to just hand it to him. In the end, Kansas City will do whatever is best for overall offensive line success.
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