Joshua Ezeudu is set to get another crack at right tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, with Jaylon Moore out because of an ankle injury.
Moore was injured in last week’s win over the New York Jets and did not take part in any of the team’s three practices this week. Heavy reported Friday that Ezeudu would step in, and the Chiefs’ unofficial depth chart has him listed directly behind Moore at right tackle.
This will be Ezeudu’s second start for Kansas City. He already opened at right tackle in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks, and he also saw action in the Jets game last week. In his first season with the Chiefs, Sunday gives him another chance to hold down a spot that has already been hit by injuries.
Kansas City picked up Ezeudu from the New York Giants in August in exchange for a 2028 seventh-round pick. New York drafted him in the third round in 2022, and he played in 33 games with 10 starts for the Giants. Most of that work came at left guard and left tackle, though he also spent time on the right side during this year’s preseason.
Right guard Trey Smith talked Friday about the need to keep things steady when the tackles shuffle around. He pointed to offensive line coach Andy Heck for getting backups ready and said the veterans have to help bring them along. Smith will be lined up next to Ezeudu, giving the pair a chance to sort out Atlanta’s fronts and pass-rush looks together.
The Chiefs have already been forced into a change on the other side, too. Rookie Kahlil Benson has taken over at left tackle with Josh Simmons on injured reserve. That leaves Kansas City with two tackles in expanded roles this season, while Smith and center Creed Humphrey provide the experience in the middle.
There could be another adjustment in the backfield as well. Kansas City listed Kenneth Walker III as questionable after groin tightness kept him out of Friday’s practice. Whoever handles the carries, Ezeudu and Smith will need to work in tandem on the right side when the Chiefs run the ball.
And on passing downs, the key question is whether Kansas City gives Ezeudu extra help with a tight end or running back before releasing that player into a route. If Ezeudu can handle the edge on his own, Patrick Mahomes will have another option available sooner in the play.
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