Taking care of quarterback Patrick Mahomes has always been of the utmost importance for the Kansas City Chiefs, and this season he’ll have some new names doing so. Although they were able to re-sign guard Trey Smith this offseason, making him the highest-paid guard in the NFL, the Chiefs also lost veteran guard Joe Thuney, and spent their first round pick on offensive tackle Josh Simmons.
With the team putting pads on during Sunday’s practice for the first time since training camp began, the position battles on the roster are coming into the spotlight, especially on the offensive line. While Simmons has turned heads early on at the left tackle spot, it now becomes a battle at right tackle between Jawaan Taylor and Jaylon Moore for the starting job.
Speaking to NFL Network following the conclusion of Sunday’s practice, Mahomes said he’s excited by the competition, and that he wants to have an offensive line full of men he’d “go to war” with.
2x MVP @PatrickMahomes is gearing up for year 9️⃣
He joined @kimmichex and @SteveSmithSr89 after @Chiefs practice!
Back Together Weekend – July 26-27 on NFLN
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/i1UG0WHKxv— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) July 27, 2025
“I think they’ve done a great job so far. Competition breeds excellence and Coach Reid always preaches that. You have to go out there and compete. We have a good defensive line, we had a lot of blitzes from Coach Spags (Spagnuolo), these guys are going to get tested, Coach Reid is going to throw them into the fire, let’s see who comes out the best man. I’m just excited for the rest of camp as we build that chemistry and get ourselves ready to go for the season.”
There is no denying the importance of having good protection in front of Mahomes, and with one of the longest-tenured veterans in Chicago, there’s opportunity for young players to step up and have an impactful role right away.
