The Kansas City Chiefs are rounding the bend toward their final regular season, which brings the offseason into view in a matter of days, and the team is facing further injury concerns as they get ready to head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid already made it clear that right guard Trey Smith was unlikely to get the green light for Sunday after pushing through an ankle injury that's bothered him for weeks. Reid stated earlier this week that Smith would like to play personally, but he wasn't sure that he was going to allow it.
On Friday, Reid made it official that Smith would sit. That's a big loss for the Chiefs up front after seeing the veteran make his second consecutive Pro Bowl in 2025.
In Smith's absence, Mike Caliendo is the next man up on the depth chart, a key substitute across the offensive interior for the last couple of years. However, with Week 18 coming, the Chiefs are already set to play younger players at various positions, so Smith's confirmed absence could bring up a rare opportunity for playing time for less experienced players.
The Chiefs finally have a sensible window to test a couple of draft picks from 2024 who've been stuck on the sidelines.
While Caliendo adds value as a spot starter, Kansas City still hasn't seen what it has in either Hunter Nourzad or C.J. Hanson. Both players were day three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, but two seasons have passed, and neither has received a real opportunity to show what he can do.
Nourzad was an experienced starter out of Penn State who had reps at both center and guard. The Chiefs are obviously set with elite performers at those positions with Smith and Creed Humphrey at center. In addition, Kingsley Suamataia has locked down the left guard position following the trade of Joe Thuney, making it impossible for Nourzad (or Hanson) to play meaningful reps.
That said, the chance to potentially raise the ceiling on Caliendo might be a move worth making this offseason. Caliendo is a restricted free agent, and if the Chiefs offer him a tender, it will come in at over $3 million. That's not much against the whole of the salary cap, but every bit helps, and the likes of Nouzad or Hanson will be considerably cheaper. They're also under team control through 2027.
Hanson is the x-factor as an ultra-athletic prospect making the leap from Holy Cross. Of the pair of prospects, Hanson was the one who needed more time to develop, so perhaps the Chiefs are more anxious to see what he can do given a bit of playing time.
That said, it's quite possible the Chiefs lean on Caliendo to wrap up the season and will worry about what they have in Nourzad and Hanson another time. Either way, Smith will be out and an opportunity is there if K.C. wants to take it.