{"id":19342,"date":"2024-11-28T00:46:10","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T00:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=19342"},"modified":"2024-11-28T00:46:10","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T00:46:10","slug":"chiefs-considered-donovan-smith-reunion-marquise-brown-december-return-in-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=19342","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs Considered Donovan Smith Reunion; Marquise Brown December Return In Play?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bolstered by a strong interior O-line trio for the past four seasons, the Chiefs have seen their tackle situation deteriorate. The perennial contenders have not exactly presented stability at either tackle spot since left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.<\/a><\/strong>\u2018s free agency defection, with 2023 free agency addition Jawaan Taylor<\/a><\/strong> not panning out at right tackle, either.<\/p>\n

Tied to a $20MM-per-year deal that features a guaranteed 2025 salary, Taylor continues to start at RT. The Chiefs may be on the verge of using a third LT starter soon. They signed longtime Cardinals blindside blocker<\/a> D.J. Humphries<\/a><\/strong> last week, shortly after the 10th-year veteran was cleared from ACL rehab, passing on a reunion with Donovan Smith<\/a><\/strong> in doing so.<\/p>\n

[RELATED: Isiah Pacheco, Charles Omenihu Expected To Play In Week 13]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Chiefs turned to Smith shortly after the 2023 draft<\/a>, adding him as a plug-and-play left tackle. Kansas City considered bringing Smith back to help its tackle situation, according to The Athletic\u2019s Nate Taylor, but ended up preferring Humphries (subscription required<\/a>). Describing the two-time defending champs\u2019 LT move as a \u201cclose call\u201d between Humphries and Smith, Taylor adds the Chiefs are hoping the former will be ready to start either in Week 14 (against the Chargers) or Week 15 (vs. the Browns). Smith remains a free agent.<\/p>\n

No talk of Humphries being a high-profile insurance policy for the ineffective Wanya Morris<\/a><\/strong>\u2013Kingsley Suamataia<\/a><\/strong> tandem appears taking place, as it certainly looks like Humphries was signed to start. Patrick Mahomes<\/a><\/strong> has been sacked 15 times over the past four games, including five times by a Panthers team that did not exactly invested much in its pass rush post-Brian Burns<\/a><\/strong>. While OC Matt Nagy<\/strong> said (via ESPN.com\u2019s Adam Teicher<\/a>) Humphries will not be thrown into the fire immediately, the expectation will be the soon-to-be 31-year-old tackle will become the Chiefs\u2019 blindside starter before the regular seasons ends.<\/p>\n

Injuries have been a problem for Humphries throughout his career. Prior to the ACL tear sustained in Week 17 of last season, the eight-year Cardinals starter missed nine games in 2022 (with a back injury). He missed 11 games in 2017 and seven in 2018 as well. A productive midcareer stretch \u2014 one that booked him two Arizona extensions \u2014 followed, but Kansas City is effectively rolling the dice here. Smith, 30, missed five starts last season and four in 2022; the former Buccaneers LT bastion also only missed two combined games over his first seven seasons.<\/p>\n

Holding a Suamataia-Morris position battle throughout the offseason, the Chiefs had not planned to bring back Smith<\/a>, who played out a one-year, $9MM deal in 2023. It will certainly be interesting to see how much Humphries can help, as inexperience will no longer be an issue at that position once the rehabbed LT is ready to play.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>On the subject of players returning from injury, the Chiefs continue to express optimism on Marquise Brown<\/a><\/strong>. Rumored to be sidelined throughout at least the regular season, the free agency addition has generated hope he will play before the season ends<\/a>. Now, Taylor adds the Chiefs are aiming for Brown to begin practicing by mid-December. This would not look to mean Brown will be playing in games by then, as it sounds like the Chiefs will attempt to take advantage of the three-week IR-return window.<\/p>\n

If Brown returns by mid-December, the Chiefs could aim to slow-play his comeback from shoulder surgery<\/a> until the divisional round. Given the Bills\u2019 momentum and two-score win over the Chiefs in Week 11, the latter\u2019s threepeat bid involving a bye is far from a lock. But the Chiefs remain the AFC leaders, at 10-1, and could give Brown a month to ramp up before a Round 2 return. Granted, Kansas City would surely be interested in the former first-round pick coming back sooner to establish some semblance of a rapport with Mahomes, but considering the reports of how long Brown would need to be out<\/a>, the organization holding out hope for a playoff re-emergence would line up with the timeline.<\/p>\n

The Chiefs have featured uneven receiving situations in each of the past two seasons. While DeAndre Hopkins<\/a><\/strong> has provided some support, the potential Hall of Famer has been inconsistent early in his Chiefs run. The team had aimed to have a Brown-Rashee Rice<\/a><\/strong>\u2013Xavier Worthy<\/a><\/strong> trio, but Brown and Rice\u2019s injuries nixed that. Rice is out for the season, while Worthy has proven unreliable thus far. Brown coming back would add a proven veteran to the mix, which would stand to help a team that has seen Travis Kelce<\/a><\/strong> show glaring signs of a decline this season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n