Chiefs' offseason gamble already looks overpaid (and Chargers fans love it)

The LA Chargers aren't just affected by the signings they made this offseason; they are also affected by the signings their division rivals made. Some of those signings are daunting for Chargers fans. Others... not so much.

One team that always seems to nail every single move they make is the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City has sat atop the NFL mountaintop mostly because of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, but also because of the team's ability to surround its star quarterback with talent.

It's a celebration when the Chiefs have a rare miss and it appears that the team may have whiffed and overpaid for one key signing this offseason. There are already questions around who is going to start at left tackle, which puts major scrutiny on offseason addition Jaylon Moore.

The Chiefs' Jaylon Moore gamble may not be worth it, and Chargers fans love it

Kansas City signed Moore to a two-year, $29.9 million contract this offseason. The 27-year-old tackle was a fifth-round pick back in 2021 and has limited starting experience under his belt in the NFL.

The signing was questioned at the time as the Chiefs paid Moore as if he was going to be the team's starting left tackle. That is great and all if Smith actually had extensive experience as a team's starting left tackle, which he does not.

Smith started a grand total of 12 games across four seasons with the 49ers. He set a new career-high in starts in 2024 with five. All of his snaps did come at left tackle, so there's that, but the team essentially signed a backup with starter money.

The Chiefs know they did that as well and the proof is in the team's first-round pick. Kansas City drafted tackle Josh Simmons with the last pick of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Simmons was viewed as a project at the time but very well may start given his competition.

There's value in having a swing tackle and some teams invest monetary resources to have that (just ask the Chargers, who are paying Trey Pipkins the fourth-highest salary on the team). However, it is interesting that Kansas Cits used its limited cap space to sign someone who, if all goes well, likely won't play in 2025.

That money could have been used for a veteran running back with juice, or another wide receiver option for Patrick Mahomes. Heck, maybe the Chiefs could have gotten Travis Kelce even more help at the tight end position.

Kansas City opted against that and instead took a gamble on someone who may not even play next season. Thankfully for the Chargers, that gamble may not impact them whatsoever.