The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2025 offseason with pressing concerns along their offensive line and are they set to miss out on a key target due to budget limitations at the Arrowhead Stadium?
The OL a vulnerability that had been exposed on the sport’s biggest stage when the Philadelphia Eagles managed to sack Patrick Mahomes six times in Super Bowl LIX back on February 9.
It was a culmination of a weakness that the team had just managed to survive throughout the 2024/25 NFL season, but couldn’t get away with for one extra game at the Caesars Superdome.
As a result, the front office prioritized shoring up the line to protect their franchise quarterback but retaining one of their key contributors initially seemed out of reach.
Trey Smith, their Pro Bowl right guard, was expected to command a hefty contract on the open market and this is something the team was not expected to be able to afford, until an unexpected development altered the course of their offseason.
The NFL’s announcement of a $10 million salary cap increase over initial estimates gave the Chiefs a vital financial lifeline to keep the talented 25-year-old, with an option to place the franchise tag on him.
That would him in Kansas City for at least one more season while working on a possible long-term extension, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
“They didn’t think they were going to be able to keep Trey Smith on the franchise tag,” Teicher told ESPN. “Or otherwise, or with a long-term deal. They just sort of thought that that was not going to happen.
“So I think at that point, Joe Thuney and maybe extending him was more a part of their plan.
“But when the salary cap came in about $10 million more than what the Chiefs were planning on, they said, ‘OK, we’re going to shift and we can keep Trey Smith.’
“But to do that, they were going to have to let Joe Thuney go. So they sort of made this choice.”
Why did the Chiefs let Joe Thuney leave?
Consequently, the 32-year-old Thuney was traded to the Chicago Bears to clear cap space, despite being with the team since 2021, a necessary sacrifice to hold on to Smith.
An anchor on the line, he helped the team to victories against the Eagles in the 2022/23 Super Bowl and again one year later against the San Francisco 49ers in 2023/24. However, as the franchise prioritized youth and long-term potential he became the odd one out.
Kansas City didn’t stop at re-signing Smith. They further bolstered the offensive line by adding Jaylen Moore and drafting a rookie, Josh Simmons, in moves that reflect a larger overhaul aimed at restoring dominance up front.
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