Jaylon Moore just made the Chiefs look brilliant for their offseason gamble
Through the first quarter of this season, the Chiefs’ 2025 free agency class had been largely unproductive. Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery is playing about 30% of snaps and has one sack this year. Cornerback Kristian Fulton and running back Elijah Mitchell have been inactive for most of the season. And after putting pen to paper on a multi-year deal in March, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore failed to earn a spot in the starting lineup.
Opportunity came calling for one of them in Week 6, when the Chiefs suddenly had to shuffle their depth chart. Moore was thrust into the lineup when starting left tackle Joshua Simmons became a surprise inactive just hours before the Chiefs squared off against the Detroit Lions.
One could make a strong argument that the left tackle position is what sunk the 2024 Chiefs. Not to spend too much time revisiting it, but the team made several changes over the course of the season and ultimately shifted All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney out to tackle, where he remained throughout the postseason run.
Keep in mind that this isn’t just any position; if your team has the franchise quarterback intact, the next most important position on your roster is left tackle.
Jaylon Moore has quietly emerged as the Chiefs’ most impactful free-agent addition.
Back to 2025. Not long after Moore was inked to be the starter at left tackle, the Chiefs were pleasantly surprised to see Simmons drop to them in the first round of the NFL Draft. As the summer unfolded, it quickly became evident that Simmons — not Moore — would get first crack at the starting job.
Meanwhile, Moore pivoted to right tackle, where incumbent starter Jawaan Taylor was recovering from an offseason knee procedure. After weeks of speculation about potentially starting at right tackle, or perhaps even left guard, the Chiefs broke camp with their top free-agent acquisition stranded outside the starting lineup.
Simmons maintained a stranglehold on the starting gig at left tackle, and Taylor returned successfully from his rehab. It’s possible that Moore may have reconsidered his decision to sign in Kansas City. He could have soured on the franchise that told him in contract negotiations that he would be the man. Instead, he bided his time.
For the first month of the season, Moore played just 20 offensive snaps — two in Brazil in the season opener, four against the Eagles, six at New York, and then eight against the Ravens. On the day his third child was born, the former fifth-round pick of the 49ers was suddenly thrust into the lineup, tasked with handling the Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson, and performed admirably in the Chiefs’ impressive Week 6 win.
Moore was once again tapped to stand in for Simmons in Week 7, this time against the Raiders. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby lines up almost exclusively across from the right tackle, so Moore squared off against 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson.
In 2024, the Chiefs would have settled for “serviceable,” or even “mediocre,” at left tackle. The Chiefs now enjoy the luxury of having not just one, but two players who far exceed “serviceable” at the position in 2025. Moore has been impressive in his two starts, providing Patrick Mahomes the backside protection necessary to lead the offense to eight touchdowns in seven quarters of play. He has committed zero penalties and allowed just one sack in 165 snaps in 2025.
Moore was always the most important of the Chiefs’ free-agent signings from last spring, if for no other reason than the position he plays. Tillery is likely to receive an uptick in snaps due to the season-ending injury to rookie Omarr Norman-Lott. The rest of the Chiefs’ free agency class has yet to make a dent, but there is still time for Mitchell and Fulton to make their contributions. Moore has bolstered the offense by providing stability and production at a crucial position. It’s yet another reminder that football is the consummate team sport.
Steelers Part Ways with Injured Offensive Lineman Gareth Warren
PITTSBURGH — After an injury knocked a rookie Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman out of action, his time with the organization has officially come to an end. The Steelers waived Gareth Warren, a massive, 22-year-old offensive tackle, according to the NFL's transaction list.
The move comes after Warren was injured during the Steelers’ second preseason game. Diving for a loose ball, he received a concussion and was unable to return for the rest of preseason action. After being waived with the final roster cuts, the team placed him on the Reserved/Injured List. Now healthy, the team is parting ways with him altogether.
With this designation, Warren is now free to sign with any other NFL team.
Unexpected Rise
Warren joined the Steelers after going undrafted during the 2025 NFL Draft. The 6’6”, 330-pound tackle was passed over after finishing his collegiate career at the FCS school Lindenwood. With several NFL teams interested in signing him as an undrafted free agent, he chose to sign in
The step was a continuation of Warren’s rise up the ranks. Born in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, he was a standout player at Kealakaehe High School before becoming joining the Lindenwood Lions. As a junior, he was a part of an offensive line that dominated the conference and FCS competition. The Lions averaged 39.5 points per game and 509.1 yards per game, both tops in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).
Lack of Opportunity
Despite showing promise and potential, the road to a spot on the 53-man roster was long. And the road to becoming an impact player at the tackle position even longer.
It’s no disrespect to Warren, but he’s an unrefined player in need of further development and more attention in order to take that next step. Receiving that in Pittsburgh was a low possibility.
The Steelers have two young tackles they fully believe in already. Troy Fautanu has already become an unquestioned staple on the right side, despite this being his first year of playing regular season games in the NFL.
Broderick Jones has similarly gained more and more trust from the Steelers’ coaching staff and starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. He and Fautanu haven’t allowed a sack in two straight games, and the offensive line is gelling more and more as the season progresses.
Behind Jones and Fautanu, the Steelers also have veterans like Dylan Cook and Andrus Peat that can step up in the case of injury.
The result is a crowded path for Warren to become an NFL player, and the Steelers are now giving him the chance to catch on somewhere else.
