No one in or around the Kansas City Chiefs is confused about the problem. Where there’s a lack of clarity is in the solution.

After the Chiefs’ season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media and addressed questions about the team’s lackluster performance. While there were myriad concerns—from coming out flat to dropped passes, from players tasked with too much to miscommunication—the greatest source of frustration was the needless penalties that ruined drives.

“We’ve got to clean up some of the penalties that we had, especially in crucial situations, as you’re getting ready to go in and potentially score,” said Reid.

“So we’ve got to take care of that. I expect more from our guys than that. And then there are some little mistakes here and there that we’ll take care of, too.”

No one is sure what Andy Reid means when he says the Chiefs will clean things up.

The Chiefs had 10 overall penalties on the evening, compares to six for L.A. Last year, the Chiefs had 94 for the entire season—for comparison, the New York Jets had 137—which placed them just behind the Arizona Cardinals, L.A. Rams, and Indianapolis Colts for the fourth-best total in 2024.

The primary cause of those untimely penalties was and is right tackle Jawaan Taylor, a repeat offender who was called for four (two false starts, two holding) on Friday. Together with rookie left tackle Josh Simmons, who was making his first NFL start, the Chiefs’ tackles had six total penalties that only made the offensive sledding that much harder.

Per NFL Penalties, Taylor has been called for 42 total penalties in 2023-24, with 36 of them accepted for 255 yards. Add another four to that total in the Chiefs’ loss in Brazil to start another year, and fans can only wonder what Reid means this time around by the “clean up” line.

Is this really a matter of coaching up guys who need to learn how to correct mistakes? Is this something that goes away with motivational speeches and coaching reminders? Has a pattern not already been established?

In years past, the Chiefs might not have had much of a choice. The truth is that Taylor is a plus pass defender in a passing offense, so the Chiefs have rolled with the penalizing punches when the alternates are Wanya Morris or Ethan Driskell. That’s not the case in 2025.

The Chiefs have Jaylon Moore waiting in the wings, a free agent who signed with the premise that he’d compete for a starting role at left tackle. Instead he’s been relegated to the bench, a prisoner to the Chiefs’ patience at the right tackle position.

The Chiefs’ demonstrated no-panic approach has been of paramount importance in other places on the roster. The slow handing of a torch to Patrick Mahomes made for a seamless transition at quarterback, and such established continuity in the front office and on the sidelines is a major pillar in the organizational success enjoyed over the last decade or more.

So when Reid says the Chiefs have to “clean up” the mistakes, fans can only wonder what he means. Are roster changes coming? Is Taylor going to give way to Moore? Or is this coach-speak for “we will remind a guy who is making more than $20 million per season to do his best not to ruin offensive drives”?

It’s easy for those outside of Arrowhead to be reactive and clamor for change in the face of a frustrating performance. Reid’s patience is a virtue and that shouldn’t be overlooked. But these issues have been apparent for years now.

It will be interesting to see how the Chiefs approach the position in the coming weeks. Is Taylor on a short leash? Is Moore going to get a chance? Facing the Eagles in Week 2 might force an answer soon enough.