Analyst: Chiefs Should Sign 99-Game Starter to Fix OL Struggles

“They originally signed Jawaan Taylor with the intention of moving him from the right to the left side, but ended up keeping him there when they signed Donovan Smith who became available because the Buccaneers released him,” Ballentine wrote on December 20.

“It was the right idea, but Smith has not lived up to the expectation that he could hold down Mahomes’ blindside. Instead, he has struggled with 28 blown passing blocks in 12 games this season, per Sports Info Solutions.

“Meanwhile, Trent Brown is playing really well for a bad Patriots team in a contract year. The 30-year-old has just 12 blown passing blocks in 10 games and has given up three sacks on the year.”

Trent Brown Could Be Multi-Year Answer at Low Cost

Brown’s 81.0 PFF grade this season is the highest of his nine-year NFL career and is the sixth-highest among all offensive tackles this season. But he will turn 31 before the start of the 2024 season, and he has been inconsistent throughout his NFL journey — which includes 99 career starts — which is why Over The Cap gave him a valuation of $4.8 million per year amidst a career year. That’s a great value for a starting offensive tackle coming off of his best season as a pro.

That’s why the Chiefs are a strong candidate to sign Brown to replace current starting left tackle Donovan Smith, who signed a one-year deal with Kansas City last offseason and is currently the 65th-highest graded offensive tackle by PFF. Rookie Wanya Morris has the potential to be the team’s starting left tackle of the future, but making him a swing tackle for the 2024 season will give him one more season to develop while also providing quality depth along the offensive line.

Brown could provide 1-2 years of stability at left tackle, which is what quarterback Patrick Mahomes needs as the team continues to develop its young receiver room while keeping its run game effective in the process.

Expect offensive tackle to be one of Kansas City’s top priorities next offseason.

Twitter/X Chats About Chiefs Offensive Tackles

Users on X, formerly Twitter, chatted about the state of Kansas City’s offensive tackle room.

“People like to focus on the KC Chiefs having bad wideouts, but I think the bigger issue is their offensive line. Those two tackles are terrible,” one user wrote.

“The Kansas City Chiefs are who we thought they were,” another user wrote. “Offensive tackles are a liability, wr aren’t dependable and the defense which is the best part of their team hasn’t been as dominant as of late. We knew a couple of those things in August. We just didn’t want to believe it.”

“I know the Chiefs WRs been getting killed nationally, but the offensive tackles will be the ultimate downfall of this team,” another user wrote.