After rotating between four different left tackles in 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs spent the offseason trying to fix that position on the offensive line. While the team spent big on free agent Jaylon Moore and selected Ohio State’s Josh Simmons in the first round, they also traded star guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears. With second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia set to compete for the vacated left guard spot, Simmons and Moore will fight for the starting left tackle position.
According to ESPN’s Adam Teicher, the Chiefs want their first-round pick to win the Week 1 starting job. Of course, this is predicated on Simmons being healthy, as the rookie suffered a torn patellar tendon midway through the college football season. Teicher reports that if Simmons can fully suit up in minicamp, he should have good odds of winning the starting job for the Chiefs offensive line.
Chiefs Hope Josh Simmons Wins Starting Offensive Line Job
The Chiefs offensive line is a bit of a mystery outside of center and right guard. As mentioned earlier, Suamataia is the frontrunner for the left guard spot, but the BYU had a disastrous rookie season at tackle and has yet to prove he’s an NFL-caliber talent. Simmons and Moore will compete for the left tackle job, and right tackle Jawaan Taylor is too expensive to bench…probably.
Signed to a massive four-year, $80 million contract in 2023, Taylor has not come close to playing up to his contract during his two seasons in Kansas City. It’s hard to imagine the Chiefs spending $15 million per season for Jaylon Moore to be a backup, so perhaps the versatile tackle could start on the right side of the Chiefs offensive line if Simmons is healthy.
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