The Kansas City Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season last weekend. They are responding with a possible shakeup at the most vulnerable position on their offensive line.
The two-time defending champions have signed former Arizona Cardinals left tackle DJ Humphries. according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal reportedly will be worth up to $4.5 million for the rest of the season.
Humphries, 30, is a former Pro Bowler at left tackle, but hasn’t played at all this year after tearing his ACL at the end of last season. The Cardinals released him in March, leaving him alone to rehab and then look for another team. Humphries was medically cleared to play on Friday and wasted no time finding a contender with a potential vacancy at left tackle.
It’s no secret that the Chiefs have been shakier than their 9-1 record suggests, and the play of current starting left tackle Wanya Morris has been an issue. Pro Football Focus ranks the 2023 third-rounder as the NFL’s 62nd-best offensive tackle among 77 players.
If Humphries is healthy, he projects as a significant upgrade for the Chiefs at a left tackle position that has been shaky in recent years.
Humphries was a first-round pick for the Cardinals in 2015 and became a Pro Bowler in 2021 after overcoming some injury issues. He signed a three-year, $66.6 million extension with Arizona in 2022, but was cut before the final year of that deal.
Now he has a chance to reestablish his value and possibly play a role in winning a third straight Super Bowl. There are worse ways to come back than protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside.