Arrowhead Pride
Since a lack of offensive line depth is one of the reasons the Kansas City Chiefs were unable to close last season with a Super Bowl “three-peat,” the team made reinforcing the trenches a major offseason priority.
The team’s approach was thorough — and costly.
The Chiefs started by signing former San Francisco 49ers’ tackle Jaylon Moore to a two-year contract worth $30 million. Weeks later, they addressed the position again by taking Ohio State’s Josh Simmons in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Early in the season, the double dip looked like an overcorrection. Simmons started the year at left tackle, initially rendering Moore an expensive bench option. But now that Simmons is likely to miss a third consecutive game while dealing with a family matter, acquiring both players appears to have been a shrewd decision.
After turning in a disappointing 0-2 start, Kansas City has now won four of its past five games with offense that now seems capable of scoring at will. Before Thursday’s practice, head coach Andy Reid noted the importance of the offensive line’s play in a unit that has scored at 30 points in three of its last four outings.
“I think every coach would say that if the line is doing good,” he said, “you’re willing to call certain things — or not call certain things.”
Lining up against top pass rushers, Moore has played well in the last two weeks. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has noticed.
“He’s been ready,” said the two-time MVP. “[Moore] comes to work every single day. [He’s] a true pro. He comes to work with the mentality of being ready for that next snap. He’s done it all throughout training camp — and now he’s done it in the regular season. That’s the reason that he’s here.”
When the Chiefs play the Washington Commanders on Monday night, Simmons may not be the line’s only missing starter. Right guard Trey Smith left Kansas City’s Week 7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders with back pain — and on Thursday, did not participate in practice.
Just as he did against Las Vegas, Mike Caliendo will probably fill in for Smith on Monday night. Reid considers it a luxury to have a reserve player who has appeared in 32 NFL games.
“We’ve always looked at Mike as a starter,” he remarked. “I think all the guys do — [and the] coaches do. So everybody’s got the confidence that when he comes in, you just pick up and go. That’s how I feel about him. I think I’m just speaking for the gang here.”
Another positive development for the offensive line has been the recent play of right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who was called for seven penalties over 2025’s first three games. This left Reid and the coaching staff frequently answering questions about a change at the position. But in the last four contests, Taylor has only drawn one flag: an illegal formation call because he wasn’t correctly “covered” by a wide...
