Chiefs' 'Biggest Priority' Key To Patrick Mahomes MVP Success
The Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line has been one of the biggest talking points this offseason, with a lot of moving pieces in front of Patrick Mahomes.
Advertisement
Joe Thuney was traded to the Chicago Bears as a salary cap dump, while left tackle Jaylon Moore was signed in free agency, and Josh Simmons was drafted in the first round to eventually usurp Moore for the starting role.
Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris both failed at left tackle last season, with Suamataia tipped to shift inside to left guard to replace Thuney, meaning relative newcomers will protect Mahomes' left side.
And for NFL.com's Kevin Patra, sorting that out is the Chiefs' biggest priority this offseason.
"In an ideal world, Simmons is ready to go and Suamataia seamlessly moves inside to replace Thuney, one of the best guards of his generation," Patra writes. "Regardless of how things shake out, the Chiefs are poised to be young on the left side of Patrick Mahomes' offensive line."
Chiefs Ohio State OL Josh Simmons at 32By Tony Fisher
Training camp will be an interesting watch because while Moore was signed to a two-year deal, Simmons, we think, as Patra does, should eventually move into the starting role.
Advertisement
Of course, a rookie's success isn't always smooth, so having Moore, a four-year backup, isn't a bad thing to have in your back pocket. However, questions still remain over Suamataia and Morris, with training camp likely playing a significant role in determining who makes the cut and who doesn't.
The Chiefs want to bounce back from the horror Super Bowl loss, but they can only do it if the offensive line pulls its weight and protects Mahomes, who was sacked a career-high 47 times last season (including playoffs).
Get that done? Mahomes is an MVP finalist.
However, as things stand, many are unsure whether this revamped offensive line can adequately protect the franchise's biggest asset.
Advertisement
Related: Chiefs Chris Jones Ranked Among NFL's Best Interior Defensive Lineman
Related: 'It Sucked!' Mahomes Offers Prediction on Rashee Rice Future
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
NFL analyst suggests Rams trade away veteran starter
The Los Angeles Rams are known to wheel and deal, and the teams are more likely to make moves around this time of year as 53-man rosters are starting to finalize. While the Rams aren't normally sellers, depth in their tight end room might give them an opportunity to accrue some capital for an aging star who may not start for much longer. Bleacher Report's Alex Kay wrote that the Rams could make a hypothetical trade with the Miami Dolphins where they move tight end Tyler Higbee for 2026 sixth-round pick. It's not much, but Higbee is in the final year of his deal and just turned 32. A late-round pick is a nice small piece for a player who isn't in their long-term plans. The Rams loaded up this offseason to make a Super Bowl run, but they should still consider the future. One way to ensure the team can remain competitive after the Matt Stafford era wraps up is to add some draft capital in exchange for expendable veterans. Tyler Higbee has decent value given his status as a serviceable starting tight end with a decade of NFL experience. He's only two years removed from a career-best 72-catch campaign, although the team eased off its usage of him in 2023 and didn't have him in the lineup for 14 games last year due to injury. With the Rams selecting Terrance Ferguson in the second round of this year's draft and having Colby Parkinson on the roster as well, L.A. might prefer to promote the backups and score a Day 3 pick in return. The Dolphins have a need for some tight end firepower after including Jonnu Smith in their deal for Minkah Fitzpatrick. Smith was the team's top target in 2024 and the only potential replacement for those looks is Darren Waller, who has been out of football and could be washed. It's a major risk the Phins shouldn't be willing to take, especially when Higbee could be available for such a low cost. The biggest concern with this move is that while the return is very small, the impact on the Rams' offense could be huge if Ferguson doesn't pan out immediately. The team already saw what it looked like without Higbee for most of the 2024 season, and the tight end usage with Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen wasn't great. Ferguson would immediately be thrust into a starting role after missing some time already this summer and the trio might not have any positive effects on the team in the hardest part of the Rams' schedule. Higbee is also a good locker room player and mentor for Ferguson, so trading him away for a 2026 dart-throw is almost more of a gamble than losing him for nothing this offseason.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Rob Gronkowski says he will sign a one-day contract to retire (again) as a Patriot
Rob Gronkowski first retired from the NFL in 2019 as a member of the New England Patriots. The future Hall of Fame tight end retired again in 2022 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And even though he hasn't played in the league since then, it appears that Gronk will retire one more time, again as a member of the Patriots. The idea of Gronkowski signing a ceremonial one-day contract with the team that he helped win three Super Bowls was floated publicly Tuesday by Susan Hurley, the founder and president of the CharityTeams fundraising firm for nonprofits. Hurley was speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly built 'Gronk Playground' on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston when she threw in a personal plea toward Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who was sitting behind Hurley next to Gronkowski. 'Can we just make it official and sign [Gronkowski] for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?' Hurley asked before looking in Kraft's direction and adding, 'What do you say?' Gronkowski applauded and nodded while looking in Kraft's direction. The owner, who was off camera at the time, apparently gave his approval, as Gronkowski later confirmed to reporters. '[Kraft] gave her a thumbs up, so we're going to make it happen in the future and it's gonna be a special moment,' the five-time Pro Bowl selection said. 'Come back for a day, a weekend, whatever it is. So we'll make it happen and it will be a really, really cool moment. It's gonna happen, we just don't know when.' The Patriots have not announced such a move and did not respond immediately on Thursday to The Times' request to comment. On Wednesday, a somewhat less official announcement came on the Instagram account of the 'Dudes on Dudes' podcast hosted by Gronkowski and former Patriots teammate Julian Edelmen. 'Gronk will sign a one day contract and retire a New England Patriot,' read the post that was accompanied by a video that featured Gronkowski speaking on the podcast about being drafted by the Patriots. The video doesn't mention anything about him signing a one-day contract with the team, but it does feature a graphic that reads: 'Breaking — Gronk will retire a New England Patriot.' New England selected Gronkowski in the second round of the 2010 draft. He became a key and beloved member of the team's dynasty under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. After Brady left for Tampa Bay before the 2020 season, Gronkowski came out of retirement to join him and ended up winning his fourth career Super Bowl that year.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Preseason snaps: Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers in images
Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are only a few weeks out from kicking off one of the more anticipated NFL campaigns in 2025. Beyond the 41-year-old quarterback's general comfort for coverage—from reading Cover 2 to appearing on television shows and podcasts alike—the must-see AFC North squad and its new leader have an epic storyboard fit for the Hollywood silver screen. The New York Jets game on September 7 headlines not only as Rodgers' official run with the Steelers, but it also serves as Justin Fields' first regular season under center for Gang Green — that is, since taking over the reins as the Jets signal-caller from…Aaron Rodgers…who replaced him in Pittsburgh. Win or lose, it'll certainly help set the expected, frenzied tone for the rest of season, a Steel City hors d'oeuvres before the main course: a hopeful Super Bowl run, which has not happened since Green Packers QB Aaron Rodgers beat them. Until then, we hitting rewind on Aaron Rodgers' preseason journey with the Steelers... Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers Preseason snaps: Aaron Rodgers
