Through the first quarter of this season, the Chiefs’ 2025 free agency class had been largely unproductive. Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery is playing about 30% of snaps and has one sack this year. Cornerback Kristian Fulton and running back Elijah Mitchell have been inactive for most of the season. And after putting pen to paper on a multi-year deal in March, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore failed to earn a spot in the starting lineup.
Opportunity came calling for one of them in Week 6, when the Chiefs suddenly had to shuffle their depth chart. Moore was thrust into the lineup when starting left tackle Joshua Simmons became a surprise inactive just hours before the Chiefs squared off against the Detroit Lions.
One could make a strong argument that the left tackle position is what sunk the 2024 Chiefs. Not to spend too much time revisiting it, but the team made several changes over the course of the season and ultimately shifted All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney out to tackle, where he remained throughout the postseason run.
Keep in mind that this isn’t just any position; if your team has the franchise quarterback intact, the next most important position on your roster is left tackle.
Jaylon Moore has quietly emerged as the Chiefs’ most impactful free-agent addition.
Back to 2025. Not long after Moore was inked to be the starter at left tackle, the Chiefs were pleasantly surprised to see Simmons drop to them in the first round of the NFL Draft. As the summer unfolded, it quickly became evident that Simmons — not Moore — would get first crack at the starting job.
Meanwhile, Moore pivoted to right tackle, where incumbent starter Jawaan Taylor was recovering from an offseason knee procedure. After weeks of speculation about potentially starting at right tackle, or perhaps even left guard, the Chiefs broke camp with their top free-agent acquisition stranded outside the starting lineup.
Simmons maintained a stranglehold on the starting gig at left tackle, and Taylor returned successfully from his rehab. It’s possible that Moore may have reconsidered his decision to sign in Kansas City. He could have soured on the franchise that told him in contract negotiations that he would be the man. Instead, he bided his time.
For the first month of the season, Moore played just 20 offensive snaps — two in Brazil in the season opener, four against the Eagles, six at New York, and then eight against the Ravens. On the day his third child was born, the former fifth-round pick of the 49ers was suddenly thrust into the lineup, tasked with handling the Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson, and performed admirably in the Chiefs’ impressive Week 6 win.
Moore was once again tapped to stand in for Simmons in Week 7, this time against the Raiders. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby lines up almost exclusively across from the right tackle, so Moore squared off against 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson.
In 2024, the Chiefs would have settled for “serviceable,” or even “mediocre,” at left tackle. The Chiefs now enjoy the luxury of having not just one, but two players who far exceed “serviceable” at the position in 2025. Moore has been impressive in his two starts, providing Patrick Mahomes the backside protection necessary to lead the offense to eight touchdowns in seven quarters of play. He has committed zero penalties and allowed just one sack in 165 snaps in 2025.
Moore was always the most important of the Chiefs’ free-agent signings from last spring, if for no other reason than the position he plays. Tillery is likely to receive an uptick in snaps due to the season-ending injury to rookie Omarr Norman-Lott. The rest of the Chiefs’ free agency class has yet to make a dent, but there is still time for Mitchell and Fulton to make their contributions. Moore has bolstered the offense by providing stability and production at a crucial position. It’s yet another reminder that football is the consummate team sport.