The Kansas City Chiefs have added another name to left guard competition for the 2025 NFL season by moving to retain one of their own.

According to ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler’s report, the Chiefs have tendered Exclusive Rights to Free Agent offensive lineman Mike Caliendo. This one-year deal worth $1.03M is non-guaranteed and will not count toward the salary cap at this time, so it’s a no-brainer decision for Brett Veach from a financial standpoint.

A former undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2022, Caliendo started six combined regular and postseason games at left guard for Kansas City in 2024, including Super Bowl LIX.

If you’re unfamiliar with Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFAs), they are players in the NFL who have yet to accrue three seasons. Kansas City holds exclusive negotiating rights with these players. If an ERFA is tendered a qualifying contract offer before free agency, that player cannot refuse that offer and become an unrestricted free agent. That player can only reach unrestricted free agency if the team does not extend a qualifying offer.

Is Mike Caliendo the Chiefs’ left guard of the future?

Caliendo slid into the left guard position for the Chiefs when Joe Thuney moved out to left tackle late in the season. He played 218 snaps at the position during the regular season, allowing just seven total pressures and no sacks on QB Patrick Mahomes per PFF. In the playoffs, he allowed two sacks and six additional pressures. Where Caliendo was lacking wasn’t so much his ability in pass protection, but rather his ability to effectively impact the running game and move defenders off their spots.

While a player like Kingsley Suamataia will certainly be considered for the left guard position in 2025, Caliendo is the closest thing the team has to an incumbent starter since trading Joe Thuney. We all know how much this team loves to give veterans in the system the benefit of the doubt.