The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of working on a contract extension with right guard Trey Smith, meaning they must find ways to open up cap space. One of the most beneficial ways to clear cap space is via trade since the Chiefs can get a return on the player. That said, Kansas City made a shocking trade on Wednesday morning.
According to Dianna Russini and Nate Taylor of The Athletic, Kansas City is trading left guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Trade is official!
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 5, 2025
The Chiefs are trading Joe Thuney to the Bears in exchange for a 2026 fourth- round pick, sources tell @ByNateTaylor and me. pic.twitter.com/gCqfN8a3b5
Thuney's departure leaves a huge hole on the interior of the Chiefs offensive line. With that being said, here are three players who could replace the All-Pro guard.
1. Mike Caliendo
Mike Caliendo is the first name that comes to mind to replace Thuney, having filled in at left guard when Thuney moved to tackle this season. Caliendo started six total games for the Chiefs in 2024, three regular seasons and all three postseason games. In his three regular-season appearances, the 27-year-old allowed one QB hit, five QB Hurries, seven QB pressures, and zero sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Be that as it may, Caliendo only graded out highly in his Week 15 start. In that game, he received a 62.7 run-blocking grade, an 82.9 pass-blocking grade, and a 69.4 overall grade. In his other two regular season starts, Caliendo's grades were in his 40s or lower.
Although Caliendo had more consistent grades in the postseason, they weren't much better than the majority of his regular season performances. In the postseason, Caliendo finished with overall grades of 39.8, 51.4 and 32.0. Furthermore, he allowed two sacks, two QB hits, four QB hurries and eight QB pressures in the playoffs.
While Caliendo's play certainly doesn't point to him being the clear No.1 left guard, he will be in consideration to start in 2025.