If Mike Caliendo is going to take full advantage of his summer with the Kansas City Chiefs, he’s going to have to show off some interior importance.
In one sense, Mike Caliendo has already beaten the odds.
Signed last spring by the Kansas City Chiefs in the hours following the 2022 NFL Draft, Caliendo was a longshot to even make it through the team’s rookie minicamp or the first few weeks of offseason training activities with the Chiefs. The Chiefs had a loaded roster ready to compete for another Super Bowl with an offensive interior that would rival any other line in the NFL.
Not only did Caliendo make it through the summer with the Chiefs, but he also held on for a spot on the team’s practice squad for the entirety of his rookie season—even as others at his position came and went. The Western Michigan product lasted the full season and earned another invitation back with a reserve/futures deal in February that guaranteed he’d compete once again for a roster spot after enjoying a Super Bowl run and ring.
With Caliendo back in the fold, it’s important to both look back and ahead at what the Chiefs saw in him in the first place and the challenges ahead for Caliendo if he wants to push for greater opportunity in 2023.
What the Chiefs have in Mike Caliendo
Last year, the Chiefs double-dipped, so to speak, in Western Michigan rookies, the first of them coming in the second round in wide receiver Skyy Moore. Caliendo came into the NFL as an older prospect (which didn’t help him get drafted) after playing in parts ofds six seasons with the Broncos. What that did provide him with, however, is loads of experience with 56 career starts to his name along the offensive line.
Caliendo was honored multiple times as a first-team All-MAC selection and his versatility is big for NFL teams who want one player to provide them with security at multiple positions. Caliendo can definitely do that at guard and center, but it should be noted that he’s not the most athletic player for the Chiefs.
Mike Caliendo is a OC prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 6.84 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 162 out of 510 OC from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/X2geYRZUX2 #RAS pic.twitter.com/CIJOrMz5C4
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 28, 2022
What the Chiefs hope to see from Mike Caliendo
The Chiefs have allowed a couple of veterans to stick around on the offseason roster in order to provide a known presence behind guard and center. Nick Allegretti hit free agency earlier this year but was brought back on a one-year deal to serve as a primary backup at the guard spots. Austin Reiter is also in-house as a former starter who has stepped up when called upon.
The Chiefs could make a move this offseason (or next offseason) to the future here and that’s where things get muddy. Darian Kinnard is a potential backup at guard, but he’s still likely learning how to shift over from tackle where he spent his career on the right side at the University of Kentucky. The readiness of Caliendo and Kinnard will go a long way toward assessing the Chiefs’ plans along the offensive interior.
If Caliendo is ready for the next step, he’s going to have a chance to supplant Allegretti and stave off competition from this year’s competitors who signed as Caliendo did a year ago—names like Anderson Hardy or Jerome Carvin. His body of work shows he has the experience, but the Chiefs’ subsequent roster moves say he’s not quite ready.hsdh
jsd