{"id":50551,"date":"2025-05-23T07:56:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T07:56:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=50551"},"modified":"2025-05-23T07:56:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T07:56:44","slug":"breaking-kansas-city-chiefs-riskiest-move-in-2025-nfl-offseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=50551","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING : Kansas City Chiefs riskiest move in 2025 NFL offseason"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Here we’ll try to look at the riskiest move that the the Kansas City Chiefs executed in the 2025 NFL offseason.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Joe<\/figure>\n
Protecting your franchise quarterback is obviously non-negotiable. And when your quarterback is\u00a0P<\/a>atrick Mahomes, every decision on the offensive line reverberates with championship consequences. That\u2019s what makes the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 riskiest move of the 2025 offseason so baffling. They traded away Joe Thuney, the bedrock of their offensive line and a two-time first-team All-Pro. As the Chiefs look to reload for a bounce-back Super Bowl run, they\u2019ve done so by weakening the one area that burned them the most in their latest big-stage defeat\u2014protection.<\/p>\n
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Bold Moves and Big Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The Chiefs\u2019 2025 offseason wasn\u2019t short on headlines.\u00a0Trading away Thuney to the Bears\u2014one of the best interior linemen in football\u2014kicked things off with a jolt. Thuney, who\u00a0posted an 79.9 PFF grade\u00a0last year, might have been 32 and entering a contract year. However, he remained elite at his position. In return, Kansas City got a fourth-round pick\u2014hardly a blockbuster haul. To fill the void, they turned to Kingsley Suamataia,\u00a0who struggled mightily at tackle\u00a0as a rookie (37.9 PFF grade). He is now expected to play guard\u2014despite little collegiate experience at the position.<\/p>\n

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Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Elsewhere, GM Brett Veach signed Jaylon Moore from San Francisco. He is a swing tackle with only 12 career starts. The Chiefs also paid him like a trusted starter. In addition, they used a first-round pick on Josh Simmons. He is a promising but currently injured tackle recovering from a torn patellar tendon.\u00a0A<\/a>t least they retained some key pieces\u00a0in Trey Smith and Nick Bolton. Also, and Rashee Rice\u2019s return will help bolster the receiving corps. That said, the offensive line looks shaky at best\u2014and suspect at worst.<\/p>\n

Here we’ll try to look at the riskiest move that the the Kansas City Chiefs executed in the 2025 NFL offseason.<\/p>\n

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Trading Thuney: Risking the Foundation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Thuney trade wasn\u2019t just a cap-saving move; it was a full-blown gamble. For the second time in the Mahomes era, the Chiefs lost a Super Bowl because their offensive line was overwhelmed. After their 2020 defeat to the Buccaneers, Veach rebuilt the unit with Thuney, Orlando Brown Jr, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith. That group carried Mahomes through multiple deep playoff runs and two more rings. Breaking up that core\u2014especially for a mid-round pick\u2014invites regression.<\/p>\n

Thuney was absolutely not perfect in the 2024 Super Bowl. This was especially true when forced into playing left tackle due to injuries. Still, he was a stellar guard. Let\u2019s be clear: trading away a healthy, high-performing lineman who anchors your pass protection is not a move contending teams make. That’s unless they\u2019re desperate or overly confident in unproven talent.<\/p>\n

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Unproven Replacements, Uncertain Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Speaking of unproven talent, Jaylon Moore is slated to start at left tackle. He will protect Mahomes\u2019 blind side. Moore has mainly been a backup with the 49ers and lacks high-level starting reps. He\u2019s now being paid like a starting-caliber left tackle, with $21.2 million guaranteed. This could work out, of course. However, it\u2019s a significant risk. Moore showed flashes but was frequently overwhelmed when isolated in pass protection last season. Expect opponents to send creative blitz packages and test him early.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Suamataia will slide into Thuney\u2019s old spot at left guard. Suamataia was benched just two games into his rookie season at left tackle after being bullied by Trey Hendrickson. He saw limited action afterward. Still, the Chiefs saw enough to believe in a position switch. That\u2019s trusting Andy Reid\u2019s offensive line expertise to the max.<\/p>\n

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And let\u2019s not forget Josh Simmons. A first-round pick with a bright future, Simmons may not even play until later in the season. That’s due to his knee injury. Best-case scenario? He\u2019s your long-term right tackle in 2026. Worst-case? You burned a premium pick on a redshirt rookie while Mahomes is in his prime.<\/p>\n

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Thin Margins<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With Mahomes entering his 30s, the Chiefs are officially in their \u201cmaximize every year\u201d phase. The quarterback alone can paper over a lot of holes, sure. However, there\u2019s only so much magic he can conjure under duress. The Eagles reminded Kansas City how vulnerable Mahomes can look when his protection breaks down. Unlike 2021, when the Chiefs responded to a Super Bowl loss with a full offensive line overhaul, this year\u2019s changes feel more like duct tape than steel reinforcement.<\/p>\n

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With Suamataia and Moore anchoring the left side, Kansas City\u2019s offense will face pressure every week. If the line crumbles again, there\u2019s no top-five defense to bail Mahomes out. The Chiefs are gambling that a Hall of Fame coach and a transcendent quarterback can make up for high-risk decisions in the trenches.<\/p>\n

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A Dangerous Bet That Could Backfire<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Every team faces hard cap decisions, but this one could sting more than most. Trading Joe Thuney, a stabilizing presence with elite consistency, leaves a gaping hole\u2014one that\u2019s now being filled by a second-year player with limited snaps at guard and a journeyman tackle with an inflated contract. It\u2019s not just about losing talent; it\u2019s about shaking the confidence of a unit that once stood as the bedrock of multiple title runs.<\/p>\n

Patrick Mahomes can do a lot. But he can\u2019t throw touchdowns from his back. And in 2025, the riskiest move the Kansas City Chiefs made may very well be trusting a patchwork offensive line to keep the dynasty alive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Here we’ll try to look at the riskiest move that the the Kansas City Chiefs executed in the 2025 NFL offseason. 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