On Tuesday, the Kansas City Chiefs made a trade, signaling they didn’t like the depth and experience of their offensive line. That changed with the addition of New York Giants offensive lineman Josh Ezeudu.
With injuries to starting left tackle Josh Simmons and right guard Trey Smith, both in doubt to start the regular season, Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach sent a 2028 7th-round pick to the New York Giants for backup guard/tackle Josh Ezeudu.
The 2022 third-round pick, who played college ball at North Carolina, has played mostly guard for the Giants, but Head Coach Andy Reid indicated that he could play tackle as well. This could mean that the Chiefs might cut Mike Caliendo as they finalize their 53-man roster this weekend.
Ezeudu spent the entire 2025 season on the shelf and worked in the off-season to get in shape. With a packed offensive line, the Giants were likely to cut him, but the Chiefs found a willing taker.
To me, this move signals that the Chiefs prefer to start rookie Khalil Benson at right tackle. He’s taken practice and game snaps filling in for Trey Smith, and the results have been mostly positive. Yet, it’s unfair of the Chiefs, with just 18 days until the season opener against the Denver Broncos, to keep moving him around.
Smith, who returned to practice this week, will need time to feel out his sore hip, and the Chiefs will slowly bring him along in hopes he starts the season with the rest of his teammates.
As for Simmons, he has a mystery back issue, and Reid was a bit coy yesterday in talking about his second-year tackle, so at this stage, I’d be concerned about his availability for the regular-season opener.
Still, this was a good move for the Chiefs because Ezeudu has terrific strength, solid footwork, and he’s also getting a fresh start with a Super Bowl contender. With that experience, if he gets thrown into a starter role to begin the year, it won’t be overwhelming for him.
