The Chiefs are almost at the finish line of the preseason, but one of their biggest questions still hangs over everything: can they protect Patrick Mahomes?
That’s the issue Brett Veach rolled the dice on this offseason, and it’s hard to ignore how shaky the picture looks heading into 2026. Kansas City didn’t exactly stumble into this problem. The tackle concerns were there last year, and Veach chose to ride with the same general group rather than make a bigger move to fix it.
The core of the gamble is simple. The Chiefs expected Jaylon Moore and Esa Pole to hold up at right tackle, but both were worse than the much-criticized Jawaan Taylor when it came to pressures allowed per passing rep.
If there was a real reason to believe either one would take a big step forward, maybe that bet makes sense. But if not, the Chiefs were asking for trouble from the start.
Left tackle isn’t exactly locked down either. Josh Simmons has already built an injury history that includes most of his final college season, time missed in his rookie year for personal reasons and injury, and now a back issue before the season has even started.
There are also whispers that the team isn’t happy with how he’s handling things. Counting on him for 17 games was always a stretch.
That leaves Kansas City leaning on the same trio it had last season: Simmons, Moore and Pole. Veach’s only real addition to that group before training camp was another undrafted rookie, Kahlil Benson. Benson has been very good for an undrafted rookie, but he still hasn’t looked especially dependable as a starter.
The Chiefs did make a pair of late trades as roster cutdowns approached, bringing in Joshua Ezeudu from the Giants and Diego Pounds, an undrafted tackle who was formerly with the Ravens. Ezeudu has played both guard and tackle, and Pounds gives them another body at the position. But that still feels like a collection of hopeful swings rather than a clean answer for protecting a franchise quarterback coming off major knee surgery.
To be fair, this isn’t a simple case of Veach ignoring everything. His draft class looks excellent overall, and it’s fair to wonder whether Kansas City should have passed on one of Mansoor Delane or Peter Woods just to address a need. Still, there’s a real argument that the Chiefs would have been better off taking a cornerback and an offensive tackle instead of two cornerbacks.
The options were there, too. The Chargers took Travis Burke, a 6-foot-8, 325-pound tackle out of Memphis, eight picks after Kansas City selected Jadon Canady.
Burke spent much of the preseason flattening defenders and showing he can play both left and right tackle. Brian Baldinger made it clear he liked what he saw, posting: “. @chargers @RamsNFL @Travisburke52 what an amazing preseason...
Love to watch him day to day v @FiftyDeuce Counted 8 knockdowns last night... Got a bright future #boltup #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/qBQH2s14jI”
There were also bargain free-agent paths. The Panthers landed Rasheed Walker, who started most of the season for the Packers last year, on a one-year, $4 million deal.
Walker is 26 and has posted a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade above 70 in each of his three seasons. That kind of price tag makes it fair to ask whether Kansas City could have found room for him at $5 million.
And then there’s Taylor, the player who has become the comparison point whether Chiefs fans like it or not. His penalties were maddening, and he never lived up to the original price Kansas City paid.
But last season he allowed just 20 pressures on 517 pass-blocking plays. Moore and Pole combined to give up 43 pressures on only 443 pass-blocking snaps.
Taylor then signed a one-year deal for $5 million this offseason.
Veach’s overall résumé speaks for itself. The Chiefs have gone to seven straight AFC Championship Games, reached five Super Bowls and won three of them.
That doesn’t happen without strong front-office work. But that track record doesn’t erase the fact that Kansas City’s tackle situation looks vulnerable, and it’s fair to question whether the team did enough to fix it.
If the Chiefs are going to get back into the Super Bowl race, Mahomes has to be protected. That’s the whole thing. And if the tackles don’t hold up when Kansas City opens against a tough Denver Broncos defense in Week 1, this offseason gamble could end up costing the Chiefs more than they were willing to admit.
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Smiths health has been part of the backdrop here, and the longer-term picture is just as important for Kansas City. His cap charge is set to climb over the next two years, and more restructuring could still be in play, which means this is less a clean fix than a way to buy time while the Chiefs manage both their payroll and the uncertainty around one of the key pieces of that line. [Read more 🡒]