The Kansas City Chiefs took their first loss of the season last weekend. They’re responding with a potential shakeup at the most vulnerable position on their offensive line.
The two-time defending champions have signed former Arizona Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal will reportedly be worth up to $4.5 million for the rest of the season.
The 30-year-old Humphries is a former Pro Bowler at left tackle but hasn’t been played at all this year after tearing his left ACL at the end of last season. The Cardinals released him in March, leaving him to rehab on his own and then to find another team. Humphries was medically cleared to play Friday and wasted no time finding a contender with a potential opening at left tackle.
It’s no secret the Chiefs have been more rickety than their 9-1 record would suggest, and the play of current starting left tackle Wanya Morris has been an issue. The 2023 third-rounder is ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 62nd-best offensive tackle in the NFL out of 77 players.
If Humphries is healthy, he projects as a significant upgrade for the Chiefs at a left tackle position that has been unstable in recent years.
Humphries was a first-round pick for the Cardinals in 2015 and developed into a Pro Bowler in 2021 after shaking off some injury issues. He signed a three-year, $66.6 million extension with Arizona in 2022, but was cut loose before the final year of that deal.
He now gets a chance to re-establish his value and possibly play a role in winning a third straight Super Bowl. There are worse ways to make a comeback than protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blind side.