Another Chiefs O-line overhaul? Kansas City vows to be better after Super Bowl trampling

New York Times

17 hours ago

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When we last saw the Kansas City Chiefs — well, they were tough to watch. Things got so ghastly on Super Sunday that legions of viewers simply tuned out. The two-time defending champions absorbed a torturous trampling in the trenches that cost them a shot at history, with line play that was downright offensive.
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The Philadelphia Eagles' defensive front engulfed Patrick Mahomes' would-be protectors like a massive wave closing out on a surfer at Pipeline in the heart of winter, draining the suspense from Super Bowl LIX. Instead of becoming the first team to capture three consecutive Lombardi Trophies, Kansas City received a reality check, suffering a 40-22 defeat in New Orleans in February that underscored its glaring weakness.
Looking back, first-team All-Pro center Creed Humphrey called it 'a bad day at the office.' And it was, in the same way that the Season 2 finale of 'Severance' depicted a bad day at Lumon Industries.
There was no way to expunge the experience from anyone's memory, or to ignore the obvious: In lieu of a do-over, the line clearly needed a makeover.
To Chiefs coach Andy Reid, a former BYU tackle, the unit's failure was especially jarring. As Reid told me Thursday after an OTA session, 'It caught up to us. (Rushing the passer) was their strength; (stopping it) was not our strength. They took advantage. But look, I take full responsibility. It's on me to fix it, to get it where it should be. I think we're getting there.'
For Mahomes' sake, they'd better be. As he approaches his 30th birthday in September, the transcendent quarterback has already established himself as one of the sport's all-time greats. However, the three-time Super Bowl champion has also been haunted by what might have been.
Twice — against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, when (according to Next Gen Stats) the besieged quarterback ran 497 yards before his passes and sacks, and again in February — Mahomes has had his shot at a championship snuffed largely because opposing defenders were constantly in his grill. That's no way for a franchise quarterback to spend his Sunday, Super or otherwise. While Mahomes has remained highly supportive, his linemen are acutely aware they can't expose him to that type of punishment.
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'It's definitely a big responsibility,' said second-year lineman Kingsley Suamataia, who began his career last September by struggling at left tackle and is now competing for a starting job at left guard. 'It's taking that pride and telling yourself, 'Yeah, I'm gonna block for this guy. He's got my back and man, you give him time and he'll slice up that defense.'
'It just gives us that bigger chip on our shoulders — so we're gonna come right back and punch back even harder this year.'
Not surprisingly, some of those shoulders have changed. Gone is first-team All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, traded to the Chicago Bears in March for a fourth-round draft pick in 2026 as a salary-shedding move. The Chiefs then signed one potential starter at left tackle, former San Francisco 49ers backup Jaylon Moore, to a two-year, $30-million free agency deal and selected another, Josh Simmons, in the first round of April's draft.
There could be three full-fledged position battles on the Kansas City line this summer, with only Humphrey and Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith (who skipped OTAs while seeking a contract extension) considered locks to retain their starting jobs. Two returning Super Bowl starters, left guard Mike Caliendo and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, could be backups when the Chiefs open their season against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, Sept. 5 in São Paolo, Brazil.
As they prepare for a long, hot, competitive summer, the Chiefs' returning linemen have tried hard to put that poor performance behind them — an endeavor that began months ago with a group film session that broke down their Super Bowl struggles.
'There's stuff that we need to correct, whether it's on the mental side or physical side,' Humphrey said. 'It's just making sure you're ready to go the full effort, full speed, on game day. It's on us to correct it. Everybody came in (this spring) with a great attitude, ready to roll.'
Humphrey has been part of the solution before. During their rookie seasons — and in the wake of the Super Bowl LV debacle — he and Smith were part of a complete overhaul that featured five new starters on the offensive line in 2021.
Judging from the enthusiasm Reid expressed Thursday about Simmons, selected with the 32nd and final pick of the first round (after Kansas City moved down one spot via a trade with the Eagles), there's a strong chance the former Ohio State standout will be asked to follow a similar path.
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Simmons, considered a potential top-10 pick, slid after suffering a season-ending torn patellar tendon in October. There was some concern that Simmons might not be fully healed before the start of the NFL season, but on Thursday, Reid said the rookie 'looks strong' in OTAs and that 'it looks like he's in good shape.' If so, he'd be the frontrunner for the left tackle job, with Moore also in the mix to start at right tackle.
If the Chiefs can stabilize the all-important role of Mahomes' blindside protector, it would be a major relief to the quarterback — and his head coach. The Chiefs tried four players at that spot last season: Suamataia, who was benched in Week 2; Wanya Morris, benched during an ugly late-November victory over the Las Vegas Raiders; D.J. Humphries, a November signee who suffered a hamstring injury late in his first start (a Dec. 8 victory over the Chargers); and, out of necessity, Thuney.
In addition to weakening the Chiefs at one position (left guard), the shifting of Thuney ultimately proved to be unsatisfactory. Mindful of his vulnerability at the point of attack, the Eagles loaded up their front to challenge Thuney and bull-rushed with abandon. As a result, Philly defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was able to accomplish his goal of pressuring Mahomes without calling a single blitz, and the Eagles finished with six sacks and 11 QB hits.
It was every offensive line's nightmare — but there was plenty of blame to go around. When I asked Reid Thursday how much of the Super Bowl defeat he ascribed to line's struggles, he shook his head and said, 'It didn't start out that way. We were off a tick, Pat and (tight end Travis) Kelce, and really everyone. We had a hard time executing on that first series, and it got rougher. Eventually, yes, the line didn't hold up.'
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy agreed: 'It was a struggle from the second play of the game on. We never got into a rhythm. I feel like there were a lot of plays where we were one person off, whether it was a missed assignment, below-par fundamentals and technique, or poor play design. Their defensive line set the tone early on and made it tough for us in both the run and pass game.
'Our offensive line fought the entire game. The beauty of our team is nobody blames. We all stick together and start with ourselves and what I could have done better. We will use this as motivation to take two steps forward.'
It may take a while for the Chiefs' new-look line to repair the unit's reputation, but there won't be a very long grace period. In Week 2, the Chiefs return home to Arrowhead Stadium to host the Eagles, and all that that implies.
In the meantime, said Suamataia, 'You've got to put your best foot forward every day.'
Soon enough, there will be a slew of fired-up opponents trying to push the Chiefs' linemen backward — and trigger some bad Super Sunday flashbacks.
(Top photo of Josh Simmons: Colin E. Braley / Associated Press)