Chiefs high powered offense will need to rely on the front five
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- After being sacked 36 times, a career high, and no answer for the left tackle position, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs made it a goal to find a difference-maker to help protect their franchise
That became clear after the 32nd pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Josh Simmons of The Ohio State University stands 6' 5" and weighs 310 pounds. The San Diego State transfer played and started 19 games at OSU at left tackle, allowing just two sacks.
His 2024 season was cut short after six games, as Simmons suffered a torn patellar tendon. While battling back from the injury, Simmons received praise from tight end Travis Kelce, who compared him to Trent Williams on the "New Heights" podcast.
Simmons, when healthy, will battle for the left tackle spot against Jaylon Moore, entering his fifth year in the NFL, first with the Chiefs.
The left guard position is open after Kansas City traded its All-Pro guard, Joe Thuney, to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick, saving $16 million in salary cap space.
The battle to watch at camp will be between Mike Caliendo and Kingsley Suamataia. Caliendo enters his 3rd season and appeared in all 17 regular season games, starting three. In his 237 snaps played, he did not allow a sack or commit a penalty.
Suamataia looks to have a bounce-back year after losing the starting job two games into his rookie year. Moving to left guard will be a new position for the BYU graduate, but one that offensive line coach Andy Heck believes he can make.
The offensive line is rounded out with first-team All-Pro Creed Humphrey, Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith and six-year veteran right tackle JaWaan Taylor.
Injuries riddled this Chiefs offense in 2024. Rashee Rice, Marquise Brown and Isiah Pacheco all missed time last year, not allowing the offense to catch a rhythm, finding themselves averaging 22.6 points per game, the second worst in the Mahomes era.
This year, Rice and Brown are back out wide, joined by speedy sophomore Xavier Worthy and veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster.
In the backfield, Isiah Pacheco is healthy and has a familiar face with him in Kareem Hunt, in his second stint with the Chiefs. He joined after Pacheco went down last season, scoring an impressive seven touchdowns in 13 games.
A new number was called during the offseason to turn a two-headed backfield into a three-headed one.
Elijah Mitchell was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 in the 6th round and had his best season in his rookie year, running for 963 yards and scoring 5 touchdowns. Mitchell missed all of last year with a hamstring injury and will look to compete with his 4.33 40-yard dash speed in the Chiefs' backfield.
The offense will always fall back on 15 and 87, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The dynamic duo has brought three Super Bowl wins to Kansas City in the last six years. Speculations of retirement surrounded the 35-year-old tight end, but the future Hall of Famer will strap it up this year and has given no hints of plans after he finishes his final year on contract.
As of now, head coach Andy Reid has not mentioned a lighter workload for Kelce either.
The Red and Gold have an experienced tight end room with Noah Grey and Robert Tonyan, as well as second-year tight end Jared Wiley.
