As the Kansas City Chiefs enter a critical 2026 season, all eyes are going to be on this team as they look to bounce back from a highly disappointing year in 2025. While a lot of people are zeroed in on the health of Patrick Mahomes, others are worried about a different aspect of the Chiefs' roster.
Mike Clay of ESPN identified offensive tackle as the Chiefs' biggest weakness, but Kansas City's front office has signaled otherwise with its offseason moves. They didn't spend a single draft pick at the position and didn't focus on it in free agency either, which is a far cry from the moves the team made at OT a year ago.
Here's what Clay had to say:
"The Chiefs added just enough at corner to allow me to stick with offensive tackle for the third consecutive year, as Kansas City's tackles ranked 31st in run block win rate (70.8%) last season. The head-scratching, four-year, $80 million deal handed to RT Jawaan Taylor a few years ago did not work out, and the Chiefs moved on during the offseason. They'll now turn to long-time reserve Jaylon Moore there. Left tackle Josh Simmons was serviceable in eight appearances as a rookie, and the 2025 first-round pick is a candidate for a Year 2 leap. Kansas City is also less deep after trading Wanya Morris in June."
Chiefs aren’t buying into concerns about their biggest weakness
Let's break this down. It's accurate that the Jawaan Taylor deal didn't pan out and he's now in Atlanta. Wanya Morris joined him in Atlanta after Kansas City traded him a few weeks ago. Aren't both of those departures a sign of the Chiefs not believing that their offensive tackle position is a weakness? They'd have surely kept at least one of those guys if they believed the position was in as bad of shape as Clay seems to believe it's in.
It’s not hard to see why Brett Veach and the Chiefs’ front office have confidence in this group moving forward. Reports indicate that Josh Simmons looks physically ready after a rollercoaster rookie season, while Jaylon Moore is entering a contract year with added motivation to perform at a high level. Meanwhile, Esa Pole and undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson have generated positive buzz, suggesting the Chiefs may be well-positioned in terms of depth along the offensive line.
Throw all of these things together and it makes sense why Veach and Co. don't seem worried about the offensive tackle position. Hopefully, the Chiefs brass is the correct side in this debate and the fan base can breathe easy whenever Patrick Mahomes steps back to fire off a deep pass knowing that he'll have the protection he deserves upfront.
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