It was the latest signing in free agency that sent the signal for the future of the right tackle role of the Kansas City Chiefs. The signing of Gerson Christian was the one that let everyone know that competition was going to sort things out and that no one would be handed the job outright for the 2022 season.
Coming into next season, the Chiefs look absolutely set at every position along the offensive line thanks to the incredible work done by the Cheifs front office, led by general manager Brett Veach, one year ago. Orlando Brown Jr. is locked in at left tackle and should be rewarded with a long-term extension soon. Joe Thuney looks great as the team’s big free-agent prize from a year ago. Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith are young cornerstones along the interior.
The only question remaining is at right tackle, but with the signing of Christian, the Chiefs seem content to leave it as open-ended as it currently looks heading into next season.
The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be ready to allow competition in training camp to sort out the situation at right tackle.
For the sake of review, the Chiefs signed Christian away from the Houston Texans on Sunday in a minor free agency note that gives the Chiefs an experienced tackle who has several starts at both left and right tackle over the last four NFL seasons in Washington and Houston. He’s never blossomed as hoped when first drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, but the skills and experience are there to at least hold down the position for an interim period.
The signing of Christian followed up on the Chiefs’ decision to also re-sign Andrew Wylie after he hit the open market for the first time as an NFL player. The Chiefs brought him back to the tune of 1-year, $2.5 million and if the contract mirrors expectations, then Wylie is expected to slot in once again into the team’s second unit if/when everyone is healthy.
All of this is noteworthy because if the Chiefs wanted to grab an obvious starter in free agency or even the draft at right tackle for next season, then there would be no real need for Christian at this point, Wylie has already held down the right tackle role in the wake of injuries to Lucas Niang, who is the other name to know in this competition, and the presence of both means that the Chiefs can host a competition in training camp to sort things out.
It’s also important to note that the signing of Christian means that the Chiefs might still be viewing Niang as the long-term asset here and that they simply need to get through a temporary season while Niang makes his way back from a patellar tendon injury that occurred in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Of course, if the Chiefs were blown away by a specific tackle prospect in the draft and wanted to use their first-round pick, the presence of Christian or Wylie will not stop them. That much should be clear. But with greater concerns elsewhere on the roster and the potential of Niang to explore in future weeks and years, it seems like a reach for the Chiefs this spring. The signing of both veterans points in the same direction.
Instead, it looks like Niang will be on the mend to begin the season, which means the Chiefs can turn to two veterans with starting experience in Wylie and Christian going forward. Training camp competition can sort out the mix to allow the Chiefs to start the best players they have. Four of those slots are already set and the Chiefs seem fine to allow the fifth to remain undermined until the preseason.