Despite enjoying historic success in the last few years, the Kansas City Chiefs have always had one issue.
And that is their left tackle position.
It’s almost fair to say that the Chiefs’ 2024 season was doomed to fail over offensive line struggles.
The Chiefs began the season with rookie and second pick Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle.
However, he was pulled for second-year third-rounder Wanya Morris late in Week 2
Morris put up inconsistent performances, albeit he did have issues with his knees, and late in Week 13 was benched for Joe Thuney — an All-Pro guard.
Thuney kept the role for the Chiefs’ eventual Super Bowl thumping at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this year.
It means Patrick Mahomes‘ blindside was protected by a different left tackle in each of the five Super Bowls he made it to.
The formula didn’t work and Mahomes was sacked a career-high six times even though the Eagles didn’t call a single blitz.
Only two other men have made the biggest game more than five times — Tom Brady and John Elway. Neither did so with a revolving door at the most important position on their O-lines.
It is a stunning statistic and sign of instability at the position for the Chiefs.
Who have been the Chiefs’ Super Bowl left tackles?
It was the now-retired Eric Fisher who started the 2020 Super Bowl for the Chiefs, a game they won after beating the San Francisco 49ers.
Fisher suffered a torn Achilles in the AFC Championship game ahead of Super Bowl LV in 2021, meaning Andrew Wylie had to step in and start.
The Chiefs lost that match as Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 triumph.
For Super Bowl LVII in 2023, Orlando Brown Jr. started as the left tackle against the Eagles — the Chiefs won 38-35.
Fast forward a year, and it was another left tackle protecting Mahomes.
The Chiefs won 25-22 against the Niners at LVIII in 2024. It was D.J. Humphries on the end of the line.
Thuney will not be repeating the feat after joining the Chicago Bears in free agency.
Who is Josh Simmons?
Going into the upcoming NFL season, the Chiefs are banking their hopes on Josh Simmons to provide much-needed stability.
The rookie was a first-round pick for the Chiefs in April’s draft.
A 6-foot-6, 330-pound tackle, Simmons has thrived in training camp.
Injury concerns saw him slide to the 32nd pick, with many believing it was a steal at such a late stage in the draft.
“The Chiefs got a steal with Simmons. He was considered OT1 before he got hurt,” Super Bowl-winning former Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz wrote on X.
“Now he’s LT1 in camp while [Jawaan] Taylor is out. If he plays well enough the Chiefs will just stick with him.”
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Head coach Andy Reid will be hoping Williams can solve his long-standing issue and has already spoken about his desire for consistency in that area.
“You’ve got to look for the best guy, I mean, to start with, that can fill in that spot, (so) that we can have a little consistency there,” Reid said, via Heavy.
“We didn’t have that last year and so let’s work at it and see what we come up with. We’ve got some good candidates for it, and you know, we’ll just see where it goes.”
It is remarkable that Mahomes has won three rings in the circumstances.
If the Simmons hype is real, Brady’s seven rings may be eclipsed by the time the iconic No. 15 jersey is hung up for good.