The Kansas City Chiefs advanced to 9-0 on the season with a dramatic 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. While the Chiefs remained unbeaten, the game against the Broncos exposed a serious issue at left tackle when it comes to pass protection. Wanya Morris has had issues of his own, but when he left with an injury against the Broncos, rookie Kingsley Suamataia really struggled. Is it time for the Chiefs to bring in a veteran to try and stabilize the situation?
The Chiefs have been trying to win through good defense and offensive efficiency this season (as opposed to with big plays). While it has worked well enough this season, the Broncos game showed that this strategy struggles when the pass protection doesn't hold up. The Chiefs have been converting third downs at a league-best pace recently, but when you give up 4 sacks and countless pressures that blow up plays as they did on Sunday, it becomes hard to execute and extend drives. That's why KC's left tackles were one of our losers from the Broncos game.
It also clearly rattles Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes when the pressure is consistently bad. Not only does he not have as many passing options to target when they have to keep guys in to block or chip, but he gets "antsy" and starts missing throws because he's worried about the protection. He missed two touchdown throws on Kansas City's final drive and you have to wonder if his lack of confidence in his protection played a part in that.
So what can the Chiefs do about the issues at left tackle? Who is available if the Chiefs wanted to bring in a veteran? Let's look at four options on the open market.
Donovan Smith
The most logical choice might be to bring back veteran Donovan Smith, who was with Kansas City last season. Smith wasn't great, but he did just enough to keep left tackle from being a big problem. He is 31 years old but started 13 games for the Chiefs last season. The question with Smith is if he's in good enough shape to come in and play at the level he did last season (which was just good enough). If Smith has lost another step, it's debatable if he would be enough of an upgrade over the team's current options.
David Bakhtiari
If the Chiefs wanted to bring in a big name that would grab a lot of headlines, signing David Bakhtiari would certainly be the way to go. Bakhtiari made 2 first-team All-Pros and 3 second-team All-Pros over 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. However, he battled major injury issues over the last few seasons. He played just one game in 2021, then 11 games in 2022, and just one game again last season (2023). That's an average of just 4.3 games per season over the last three years for the now 33-year-old lineman. If he's fully healthy, it's possible that he has a half-season in him, but there is definitely a health risk here. Based on Bakhtiari's recent social media post, he certainly seems open to the idea.
Charles Leno
If the Chiefs wanted to go the veteran route, but with a little better injury track record, Charles Leno could be an option. Leno is also 33 years old and ended last season with a hip injury. Prior to that, however, he had a streak of nine consecutive seasons with at least 13 games started through 2023. Leno doesn't have the name or All-Pro credentials that Bakhtiari does, but he was solid in pass protection last season. If the Chiefs brought him in and the hip issue has been resolved, he could be a solid under-the-radar signing that could add some stability to the position for the Chiefs.
D.J. Humphries
D.J. Humphries is the youngest player on this list at 30 years old. Like Bakhtiari and Leno, he's coming off an injury from last season. In Humphries's case, it is an ACL injury that happened in late December last year. Humphries is a former first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals who made a Pro Bowl in 2021, but it comes down to how his rehab from that late-season injury is going. On October 22nd, Adam Schefter reported that the New York Giants were bringing Humphries in for a visit after they lost their starter Andrew Thomas for the season, but nothing has come of it so far. Is that because he still isn't ready? It's hard to say, but if he is about ready to go he would likely be an upgrade from KC's current options.
So what do you think Chiefs fans? Do you like any of these four better than the Chiefs current options at left tackle? Do you think Donovan Smith is enough of an upgrade to bring back? Do you trust a 33 year old veteran like Bakhtiari or Leno coming off of an injury? Would you be willing to wait for Humphries if they signed him now, but he needed another month to get up to playing shape? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments below.