Former Kansas City Chiefs third rounder and starting right tackle Lucas Niang resurfaced with the Miami Dolphins ahead of Week 18.
“Dolphins worked out [offensive linemen] Gunner Britton, Cameron Erving, Alex Leatherwood [and] Lucas Niang,” reported KPRC 2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson on the evening of December 31.
The 6-foot-6 Niang started nine games for KC in 2021 after opting out of his rookie season due to COVID concerns. His time as the starter ended because of a knee injury, and he simply never did enough to regain the role later on — although he did win two Super Bowl rings with the franchise as a backup.
Along with Niang, Erving also spent some time with the Chiefs from 2017 through 2019, serving as a part-time starter and versatile backup.
The journeyman started 25 games with Kansas City, appearing in 40 regular season outings total. He also started two playoff games in 2018 and won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2019 (one postseason appearance).
Chiefs Finally Moved on From Lucas Niang in November of 2024
After years of speculation that Niang could be traded or cut, the Chiefs finally moved on from the 2020 draft bust in November of 2024 — terminating his practice squad contract.
The transaction acted as a sort of admission, more than anything else.
Since his season-ending injury at the tail end of 2021 — which concluded his run as the starting right tackle — Kansas City waited out Niang’s recovery, let him compete for his old job, looked into a potential position change to guard, and kept him around on either the 53-man roster or practice squad despite minimal usage. Then, out of nowhere, they gave up on the third-round talent unexpectedly.
Don’t get me wrong, the release was a long time coming. The Chiefs had already replaced Niang in the draft a few times and then eventually spent big money on current right tackle Jawaan Taylor but considering how long they held on to the OT prospect, it was almost surprising when they let him go.
Especially since the practice squad departure didn’t happen over the offseason or following training camp. Instead, the unceremonious release occurred after one of general manager Brett Veach’s weekly roster shuffles. And just like that, Niang’s time in KC was over.
Chiefs Still Searching for Long-Term Offensive Tackles Years After Lucas Niang Pick
Niang was part of one of the Chiefs’ first attempts at replacing long-time offensive tackle starters Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz following their 2021 release.
Drafted in 2020, the plan was for Niang to learn behind Schwartz and Fisher for a year or two, then eventually take over at right or left tackle. Unfortunately, that plan didn’t really come to fruition after Niang opted out as a rookie and was later thrust into the RT role without much schooling during his first NFL campaign.
Injuries to Fisher and Schwartz also expedited that process.
Now, as we enter the calendar year of 2025, the Chiefs are still searching for answers at offensive tackle.
Taylor has done a decent job on the righthand side, but the argument could be made that he hasn’t lived up to his $80 million contract. That begs the question — will Kansas City look to rid themselves of Taylor’s cap hit when the dead money lessens in 2026?
Either way, he’ll likely remain as the Chiefs’ starting right tackle for the 2025 season, barring some sort of trade.
Left tackle is the bigger issue. Neither Wanya Morris nor Kingsley Suamataia have shown enough to hold onto the starting job, and veteran stopgaps like Donovan Smith and D.J. Humphries have yielded inconsistent results.
Joe Thuney has served as the Chiefs’ left tackle in recent weeks, and it’s actually been the best solution by far since KC lost Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency. But is that really a long-term fix?
Needless to say, the Kansas City front office might have some more work to do at offensive tackle in 2025.
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Ex-Chiefs Draft Bust & Recent Cut Gets Look With Dolphins: Report