Before the 2024 season, Kansas City Chiefs’ Joe Thuney last played left tackle during his college days. However, an injury crisis for the reigning Super Bowl champions has left them shorthanded, with not only their starting left tackles but also backups and replacements like D.J. Humphries going down. This crisis was so intense that it forced Joe to step in temporarily. And, much to the Kansas City fanbase’s delight, the veteran guard has aced his new role.
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The 32-year-old Chiefs star’s versatility has naturally mesmerized one and all, including star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who couldn’t stop raving about his teammate.
The Chiefs QB recently appeared on The Drive, where he called Joe a “champion player” for being selfless enough to play every position in the O-Line with utmost commitment. In Mahomes’ eyes, Joe will easily go down as a legend of the game due to the greatness he exudes in every position and every snap.
The former NC State offensive guard has 4 Super Bowl rings to his name, and Mahomes hopes to add more to his collection as a form of payback for the veteran’s contributions to the Chiefs so far.
“I mean, he’s played every position on the offensive line and wherever we need him, he’s willing to go out there and do it. And that’s what champions do. They just go out there, they compete for every single snap and try to make their team better. So Joe Thuney is gonna go down in the history of football as one of the greatest players. [Also] with all those Super Bowl rings he has, hopefully we can add to that collection.”
It’s heartening to hear Mahomes’ praise for a silent warrior in the Chiefs’ battalion. Oftentimes, players who do the dirty work — those in the less glamorous positions — fail to get their flowers from the community. It was, therefore, so positive to hear the QB list Joe Thuney as a driving factor for him to win the Super Bowl this year.
That said, this is where a small dilemma arises for the Chiefs. In the middle of the regular season, Andy Reid signed ex-Cardinals D.J. Humphries to address their issues at left tackle. Unfortunately, Humphries was injured in his first game and was sidelined until their final regular-season game against the Broncos.
Against Denver, D.J. did get much-needed playing time, but the performance was mediocre. Despite playing 94% of the snaps, his tangible impact amounted to just 32 total snaps. The question for Andy Reid now is whether he should stick with Thuney or take a gamble on Humphries.
While Patrick revealed that he had no clue about what his HC’s decision would be, Coach Reid let the press know that both the players would rotate reps in practice before he could decide who to start. Safe to say, the Chiefs HC has a crucial decision to make this weekend.
