Andy Reid Targets Top Talent for Left Tackle Hire

Kansas City Chiefs' 2025 Training Camp Kicks Off with Key Roster Moves

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off their 2025 training camp with a press conference led by head coach Andy Reid. The event took place in front of the team dorm at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, setting the stage for what promises to be a competitive season. The team will begin with athletic testing and its opening team meeting on Monday, followed by the first official workout on Tuesday. This marks the start of the evaluation period, particularly for the left tackle position, which is one of the most anticipated battles of the camp.

The Chiefs have made several moves to strengthen their offensive line, including signing former San Francisco 49ers backup Jaylon Moore in free agency. Additionally, they selected Ohio State rookie Josh Simmons with the No. 32 overall pick in the first round. Initially, it seemed the plan was to rotate Moore and Simmons at left tackle. However, during the press conference, Reid revealed a new development: starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor will open the camp on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list.

“This is going to be a challenge for us,” said Reid. “Jawaan is out for the beginning of it, so we’ll just flip those two guys, and they’ll work in there. We’ll go from there. So yeah, but Andy [Heck] rotates all those guys anyway.”

Reid also hinted that Taylor’s time on the PUP list would be short-lived, after which there would be a more traditional rotation at left tackle between Moore and Simmons as Taylor returns to his role as the starting right tackle.

Evaluating the Left Tackle Competition

Reid outlined the key factors that will determine who ultimately wins the starting left tackle position. He emphasized the importance of finding the best player who can provide consistency in the role.

“We didn’t have that last year, and so let’s work at it and see what we come up with,” said Reid. “We’ve got some good candidates for it, and we’ll just see where it goes.”

One of the players in the mix is Josh Simmons, who came off a torn patellar tendon sustained while playing for Ohio State in mid-October. Despite the injury, Simmons surprised Chiefs coaches by being able to meet all the demands placed on him by the end of organized team activities (OTAs). After minicamp, Reid confirmed that Simmons would be fully ready for training camp, but his work did not stop there.

“He stayed up here this whole break,” said Reid of Simmons. “He’s been here, working his tail off... in the way he finished Phase 3. But it looks like he’s ready to go, and we’ll keep an eye on him and see where he’s at. But his condition — he was good when he was out there — and he seems to be a worker, so we’ll just have to see. He’s never been through one of these, so we gotta see how it goes.”

Timeline for Finalizing the Starting Lineup

When asked about a timeline for naming a starter, Reid suggested that he hopes to have a clear idea by the end of the team’s stay in St. Joseph in mid-August.

“I think by the time you get out of this thing, you’d like to have an idea who that is, right? You want to have a feel on it,” said Reid. “So we evaluate these guys — every player — for whether it’s a light practice or a hard practice, they’re evaluated and graded and so on. So, we’ll see how it all sorts out.”

The competition at left tackle will be a critical factor in determining the success of the Chiefs’ offensive line this season. With both Moore and Simmons showing promise, and Taylor expected to return soon, the coaching staff will be closely watching how each player performs during training camp.