It was never going to be hailed as some sort of transactional masterstroke if the Kansas City Chiefs had found a way to sign offensive tackle Alaric Jackson this offseason. However, the fact that he's not even going to be an option is at least a signal of just how tough it's going to be for the team to find a decent answer at left tackle this spring.
The Los Angeles Rams found a way to keep Jackson from leaving in free agency after announcing a new three-year deal worth up to $57 million for the 26-year-old tackle on Friday. The deak keeps one of the few promising options in free agency off the open market. That's a real conundrum for the Chiefs.
It's no secret that Brett Veach, the Chiefs' general manager, is searching high and low these days for the best way forward at the left tackle position. Last season yielded four different starters in the blindside protector role for Patrick Mahomes, and none of them were a long-term answer. Some of those candidates could presumably step up, but no one should be viewed as a likely starter.
Kingsley Suamataia was last year's second-round pick and claimed the starting role in training camp, but that now looks forced upon him rather than anything earned given the quick hook he was given (and rightfully so) in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The team is now talking about him as a versatile piece who can slide inside.
The Chiefs have no great answers when it comes to fixing the left tackle role.
Wanya Morris is a former third-round pick who is entering his third season with the Chiefs. He served as a serviceable option for the Chiefs after Suamataia was benched, but he feels more like a swing tackle at this point unless he finds a higher ceiling than what he's shown in his first two years.
D.J. Humphries is the veteran signed by Veach in December who hoped to be healthy and ready enough to take the position from Morris down the stretch. Unfortunately, he was hamstrung (literally) and never returned to the starting role in the postseason. The Chiefs then turned to Joe Thuney to slide outside, but that only created a vacuum at left guard and Thuney will be back in his native role in 2025.
It's possible that Suamataia takes a big leap. It's possible Morris has a higher ceiling (and floor). It's possible Humphries returns and looks better after a full offseason with the team. It's even possible that undrafted rookie Ethan Driskell shocks everyone in OTAs and training camp. But counting on any of this is a fool's errand, and Veach is no fool.
Back to the problem at hand. Anyone worth discussing in free agency also has myriad risks associated with him. Ronnie Stanley is older and oft-injured. Cam Robinson had mixed results with two teams. Tyron Smith is 34 and hardly dependable for a full season. After Alaric Jackson's signing, you're into the likes of Morgan Moses or Jedrick Wills.
The draft is going to present the same concerns for Veach and the Chiefs. Suamataia and Morris are both day two investments that have yet to pay off. Darian Kinnard was a late-round flyer who didn't pan out, and Lucas Niang was another third-round investment gone awry. Throw in the Orlando Brown trade, which was a short-term solution with a long-term cost, and you have a problematic revolving door at left tackle.
So where do the Chiefs go from here? They're picking at No. 31 overall which means any "sure thing" tackle in the draft class will be long gone. Even then, the bust rate can be high at the position, so who's to say that it would work even if the Chiefs gave up the farm to move up and grab a franchise tackle?
Basically, the Chiefs are left throwing pasta at the wall once again to see what sticks—unless Veach has some hidden gem or unforeseen path toward filling the void that no one has discussed.