Days after reportedly agreeing to terms with former Arizona Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries, the Kansas City Chiefs have now officially added the former Pro Bowler for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season.
Humphries, who turns 31 in December, is returning from a torn ACL suffered in Week 17 of the 2023 season. On Friday, Ian Rapoport reported that Humphries was medically cleared to return to play. Now, he’ll be working to get up to speed with Kansas City.
Rapoport also reported that Humphries’s deal is worth $2 million but can reach a max value of up to $4.5 million, making for a substantial signing more than halfway through the season.
As the Chiefs have battled issues across the offensive line this season, particularly at the tackle positions, this signing effectively redshirts struggling second-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia while bringing in another option at left tackle alongside second-year third round pick Wanya Morris. Morris has been up-and-down at left tackle while battling a knee injury this season, but considering Humphries’s price tag, it’s fair to assume that the Chiefs added Humphries with the intention of eventually starting and protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s blindside.
As Jordan Foote of Kansas City Chiefs On SI noted on Friday, it may be unwise to expect Humphries to immediately join the Chiefs in Pro Bowl form, but it’s hard to find a negative angle for the sake of the Chiefs’ three-peat campaign.
“It’s unfair to expect Humphries to immediately pick up right where he left off, let alone replicate his Pro Bowl form,” Foote wrote. “With that said, this is a noteworthy signing for one of the NFL’s best clubs and might just help them address a position that’s been a point of weakness for weeks.”
