Perhaps the most significant move of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason was trading away four-time All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick. It was a risky decision, especially considering how much that side of the line struggled even with Thuney, and now the Chiefs will have to march forward without an elite player.
Kingsley Suamataia and Mike Caliendo will battle for the starting job, though neither is anywhere close to Thuney at this stage. One of the big reasons that Kansas City felt it necessary to trade the 32-year-old star was his rising salary demands coupled with the team’s desire to invest resources at left tackle, where Thuney started in the Super Bowl loss.
They drafted Josh Simmons in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but spent $15 million over two years signing Jaylen Moore as well. It’s good to have contingency plans, though after this week’s report that the Chiefs intend to start Simmons and keep Moore on the bench, that money could’ve, and should’ve, gone toward keeping Thuney on the roster.
Chiefs Should Regret Joe Thuney Trade After Josh Simmons Report
Chiefs ESPN NFL insider Adam Teicher appeared on Sports Radio 810 and said that if Simmons is healthy, he’ll be the starter. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, and Simmons projects as the long-term starter for a reason.
That said, it stings to keep a decently expensive player like Moore on the bench. Thuney’s new two-year, $35 million contract with the Bears is considerably more expensive than Moore’s, yet it’s something the Chiefs could have afforded with their remaining cap space (north of $10) if Moore wasn’t on the books.
Should left guard become a problem or Simmons struggles to adapt to the NFL game, Kansas City’s offensive line woes could derail another run at a Lombardi Trophy. It’s certainly a big gamble, and it’s hard to describe just how important Thuney has been during this dynastic run.
That said, Moore’s contract does give the Chiefs some insurance if Simmons’ knee isn’t ready to go by the start of the season. Let’s hope that Moore won’t need to step on the field but should that happen, trading Thuney will feel like a large mistake.
