With the Kansas City Chiefs facing a bit of a shell game at offensive tackle heading into Week 1, it only makes sense that fans would notice a recent move by the Washington Commanders that brought a familiar face back to the free agent market. On Friday, the Commanders officially released veteran tackle D.J. Humphries only two weeks after signing him.
Humphries joined the Commanders shortly before roster cuts were due as a bit of experienced insurance with starting tackle Laremy Tunsil potentially out for the season with a torn tricep injury, suffered early in training camp.
At the present time, the Chiefs are likely to go with rookie free agent left tackle Kahlil Benson to protect Patrick Mahomes' blindside in the quarterback's return from torn knee ligaments last December. Josh Simmons, the incumbent starter, has been nursing a back injury since mid-August and doesn't look ready to play, having missed every practice ever since the injury.
The Chiefs released Esa Pole when roster cuts were due and traded away veteran Wanya Morris in June, which cleared a path for the ascendant Benson. But it's one thing for an undrafted gem to earn buzz and make the roster. It's another thing entirely to hand him the keys in Week 1. The Chiefs are leaning on Jaylon Moore at right tackle, while the newly claimed Diego Pounds is still finding his way on offense.
This is why the idea of Humphries might be interesting for some fans, but the truth is that he's a weaker option than anything they already have on their roster. Age has not been kind to Humphries, and his own injury history is lengthy. The Chiefs tried him out near the end of the 2024 campaign already, and he lasted a single start before being sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Humphries first entered the NFL as the first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 and started 98 games over the next eight seasons. Injuries took their toll in multiple years during that stretch, but he made his only Pro Bowl in 2021, which showed that he was still a quality performer late in his career when healthy.
Last year, Humphries played in eight games with the L.A. Rams with only one start to his name. He hit free agency in March when his contract expired and he sat available on the open market until Washington called in late August. That the Chiefs haven't looked his way in more than a year should clarify the stance for any fan who might wonder if Brett Veach would be intrigued.
Instead, the Chiefs seem ready to let the kids play on Monday Night Football, as scary as that might sound. The good news is that the Chiefs have a stout interior line with Pro Bowl performers who will help elevate the overall play. And those who've been around Benson sound confident in his ability to man the position. Seeing is believing, however, but Humphries as at least already been observed, and there's no reason to believe he's got anything to add to the Chiefs at this late stage of his career.
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