The Washington Commanders decided to cut veteran left tackle D.J. Humphries this Friday, September 11, in a move that signals some serious shuffling across the league’s offensive lines. What’s wild is Humphries, a former Kansas City Chiefs lineman, isn’t the only O-line player with Chiefs ties making headlines right now.
From Red to Restructuring: The O-Line Shuffle Hits Hard
Let’s talk about the big picture, because the Chiefs made a surprisingly tough call earlier this season when they cut left tackle Esa Pole. This guy started multiple games down the stretch last season, and you know that kind of experience isn’t just lying around. Now, Pole landed on the Commanders’ practice squad and might even get called up for Week 1. You gotta wonder what kind of shake-ups are happening in Kansas City when a player like that gets released.
And then there’s Humphries. He was a first-round pick way back in the 2015 NFL Draft for the Arizona Cardinals. Fast forward to November 25, 2024, and he’s signing with the Chiefs, spending the whole back half of that 2024 season in Kansas City. After that, he caught on with the Los Angeles Rams in 2025 before landing with the Commanders “earlier this year,” only to get cut loose. It’s a reminder of how quickly things change in the trenches.
Chris Jones’ Injury Scare and Andy Reid’s Brutal Training Camp
Now, for something that’s hitting the Chiefs right now: star defensive lineman Chris Jones is on the injury report heading into their Monday night game against the Denver Broncos. This is NOT ideal. The Broncos are rolling with what’s widely considered one of the best offensive lines in football, led by Garrett Bolles at left tackle and Quinn Meinerz at right guard. If Jones is limited or out for that matchup, you can bet rookie first-rounder Peter Woods is gonna see a ton more playing time. That’s a huge test for a young guy, right?
Maybe this is exactly what Coach Andy Reid prepared them for. Jones himself opened up about Reid’s 2026 training camp, saying, “It was tough.” He told reporters, “I think coach Reid went back in time and gave us some challenges. We’re a young team, and I think we needed that to reset the tempo and reset the goal of this team and what we’re going to be.” Jones went on to describe it as “very challenging every day,” feeling like “you reached a threshold of how hard it can get, and for me it just kept getting harder.” But he believes they “were able to battle through it” and that “every day was highly valuable competition.” He finished by saying, “I think we made each other battle. We challenged each other, and overall it’s going to do good for us as a team.”
The Chiefs practiced Thursday and Friday, with one final session scheduled for Saturday. After a brief media look at 11:45 a.m. Central Time, Coach Reid will address the media at 1 p.m. All eyes will be on what he says about Jones and how the team plans to tackle that Broncos O-line. It’s Week 1 and already shaping up to be a true gut check for this team.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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