Going back to the Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City Chiefs’ greatest Achilles heel in the Patrick Mahomes era has often been the left tackle position. And that same position has frustrated this KC offense for the majority of the 2024 campaign.
Rest assured; the Chiefs appear to be playing it safe during the Divisional Round matchup with the Houston Texans according to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, starting quite possibly their most reliable offensive lineman — four-time first- or second-team All-Pro guard Joe Thuney — on the blindside instead of the more unproven veteran signing, D.J. Humphries.
“Chiefs plan to start Joe Thuney at left tackle Saturday vs. Texans, per sources,” Fowler reported on January 17. “D.J. Humphries is healthy, but Thuney, a Pro Bowl guard, flourished in tackle relief while Humphries was hurt. So, Chiefs prepared to ride the hot hand.”
Multiple Kansas City analysts and reporters weighed in on this decision too.
“This has been my experience [and] expectation during the week,” Chiefs Digest reporter Matt Derrick commented. “The Chiefs, and mostly Patrick Mahomes, have the upmost confidence in Joe Thuney protecting the blindside.”
Similarly, ex-Chiefs offensive guard Geoff Schwartz — brother of KC right tackle Mitchell Schwartz — wrote: “Andy Reid is very much a coach who will ride what is working. And this OL has been working. If it stops working they will go back to Humphries.”
And finally, Arrowhead Pride film analyst Ron Kopp Jr. highlighted the cause and effect of this decision, stating: “[Left guard] Mike Caliendo is officially the biggest X-factor for the Chiefs offense. He will be targeted by Houston on pass downs, and the run game will have to overcome a less sturdy [interior offensive line].”
Chiefs Kept Left Tackle Decision a Mystery Up Until Fowler’s Report
To be clear, the Chiefs have not confirmed Fowler’s report as of 1 p.m. (CST) on January 17 — although the ESPN insider is typically very tapped in when it comes to all things Kansas City.
Coach Reid and the Chiefs have kept this decision very quiet throughout the week. Now, it’s possible that they only made the call on Friday themselves, but it’s also possible KC was attempting to keep the Texans guessing up until the last possible moment.
A little friendly gamesmanship ahead of the Division Round.
As recently as Thursday, January 16, Reid told reporters that he had not decided on his starting left tackle.
“I’ve taken it this far, [so] I’m going to get with the coaches and just make sure [of] what they want and [see] where we’re at with that,” the Chiefs HC said at the time. “[Thuney and Humphries have] both been in there. So, they’ve both been in there and have done a nice job.”
Reid concluded that having both as options is a “positive thing.”
Patrick Mahomes May Have Been Involved in Chiefs’ Left Tackle Decision vs. Texans
At the end of the day, the left tackle decision was most likely a collaborative one.
Reid, of course, is involved, but the Chiefs HC also mentioned “coaches” having a say — presumably offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and OL coach Andy Heck — and he hinted that Mahomes was part of the final verdict too while speaking on January 16.
“Listen, [Mahomes] likes both guys, so he trusts those guys and that’s where he’s at,” Reid first replied, when asked if they take into account who Mahomes is more comfortable with.
The veteran head coach then added: “But I always keep that in mind for sure, yeah.”
Mahomes may not have had the final say, but it sounds like he was at least consulted. Given Thuney’s reliability and consistency over the past month, it’s hard to argue with their decision.
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