Chiefs rely on fourth different left tackle for Week 15 match-up vs. Browns

The Kansas City Chiefs will have their fourth different starting left tackle in 2024 after D.J. Humphries was listed as inactive for the Week 15 match-up against the Cleveland Browns. While some might have thought this would lead to Wanya Morris getting put back into the starting left tackle spot, that doesn't appear to be Kansas City's plan in pre-game.

No, during warm-ups, it was Joe Thuney who was lining up at left tackle. Thuney has mostly played left guard throughout his career but he does have some experience playing tackle. The Chiefs signed Thuney in the 2021 offseason after their offensive line got wrecked in Super Bowl LV and he immediately shored up the left guard spot.

Left tackle, on the other hand, has been a major problem this year. The Chiefs have tried Humphries, Morris, and rookie Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle and none of them have either been able to stay healthy or perform well enough to keep the starting job.

Joe Thuney warming up at left tackle ahead of Week 15 match-up

Thuney's backup at left guard is Mike Caliendo, who has played a whopping seven snaps at left guard this year. Caliendo was an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan who the Chiefs clearly have taken a liking to.

There's no question that the offensive line has been a weakness for Kansas City this season. Orlando Brown Jr. was the Chiefs' left tackle in 2021 and 2022 but opted to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 (in what a lot of Chiefs fans felt was out of spite). While the Bengals haven't gotten to the playoffs since Brown signed there, K.C.'s offensive line has definitely suffered.

Donovan Smith was serviceable a season ago and Chiefs fans have clamored for the team to bring him back. The hope was that Humphries could provide a spark but after one game, he got dinged up and is sitting out this week.

Let's hope that Thuney can provide the spark that Kansas City was hoping Humphries would a week ago. The Chiefs need to continue to win to ensure that they get the number one seed and can get some much-needed time off before the divisional round of the playoffs.