Joe Thuney's exit leaves Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith with a significant burden

It's going to be a strange sight for Kansas City Chiefs fans when Joe Thuney is no longer lining up to protect Patrick Mahomes. The Thuney days are over in Kansas City, as he was traded to Chicago this offseason and the Bears recently wisely extended him to a two-year deal.

The loss of Thuney means the Chiefs have a massive hole to fill on the left side of their o-line, but it also means the veteran leadership shifts from Thuney to the two guys the team opted to keep over him. Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith were both drafted by Kansas City in the 2022 NFL Draft after the Chiefs got worked in the Super Bowl a few months prior, and the payoff was magical.

Humphrey was extended on a four-year deal worth $72 million, while Smith hasn't been extended yet but signed his franchise tag worth $23.4 million. These two have shored up the interior of the Chiefs' o-line and have now been rewarded for it, but they'll now be tasked with helping lead the rest of the group moving forward, now that Thuney's gone.

Chiefs quietly testing how ready their young line really is for leadership

Left tackle will be taken over by a new addition, and we'll find out this summer whether Jaylon Moore or Josh Simmons wins that job. Moore was signed in free agency while Simmons was drafted in the first round and dropped as far as he did due to an injury he suffered in October.

At left guard, which was Thuney's old position, the expectation is that 2024 second-rounder Kingsley Suamataia will win the job there after disappointing at left tackle as a rookie. Suamataia will battle it out with Mike Caliendo for the starting left guard job, and no matter who wins that battle, it'll still be a massive step down from Thuney starting in that spot.

Jawaan Taylor is returning for year three at right tackle, and it's expected to be his final year in K.C. unless he plays out of his mind and cuts back on the penalties in 2025. That leaves Humphrey and Smith at center and right guard, who are the two constants on the o-line.

While it was great to see K.C. reward its young guys, will they be up for the task of leading the charge? That's what we'll have to see for ourselves when the regular season gets underway. Thuney was not only a dominant player at his position, but he was versatile, stayed healthy, and brought a heavy dose of leadership to this group. Let's hope Humphrey and Smith learned from him and can lead by example.