After being eliminated from playoff contention with three games left in the 2025 season, it is clear the Kansas City Chiefs need to make major changes in the upcoming offseason. Settling for mediocrity and relying on quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coachAndy Reid to work their magic is no longer cutting it.
This especially applies to Kansas City's offensive line depth that has been consistently exposed throughout the 2025 season. This included guard Mike Caliendo, who has been forced into the starting lineup over the last three weeks due to an ankle injury to starter Trey Smith.
While certain players tend to step up when adversity strikes, it's been the complete opposite for Caliendo, painting him as someone who shouldn't be brought back in 2026.
Mike Caliendo Is Playing with Chiefs on Borrowed Time
Since Week 7, Caliendo has played at least 58 snaps in six of the eight subsequent games, often frustrating Chiefs fans more often than not. He's allowed a whopping 21 pressures during that stretch, according to Pro Football Focus, and it's safe to say that his blocking hasn't done much for Kansas City's running backs during that stretch, either.
Furthering the frustrations are four penalties committed, indicating that Caliendo is far from a disciplined player. Whether he's taking untimely calls or breaking down in protection, it couldn't be clearer that he isn't someone who can be trusted as a plug-and-play option whenever a starting offensive lineman goes down.
With this in mind, it makes sense to move on from Caliendo, who is poised to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025 season. Mahomes' uncertain 2026 availability gives the Chiefs an opportunity to retool the roster and cut any dead weight, with Caliendo's name needing to be near the top of that list.
Backup guard Hunter Nourzad is in his second season with the organization and would be a great piece to evaluate over the season's final two games. It's beyond clear that Caliendo's time with Kansas City should come to an end. There should be a level of urgency to evaluate your current pieces in an attempt to see if next year's reserve might be currently rostered.
It is the type of decision that should've already been made long before the Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs. A lack of willingness to try the unknown in favor of sticking with failing veterans is what helped push the Chiefs into their current demise. A frustration that must be learned from and remedied, starting with a tackle who bears some responsibility for the beating Mahomes took this season behind a banged-up offensive line.
For Caliendo, it seems the experience with a championship organization will net the guard a new landing spot, even if this was far from a positive stint. Caliendo is only 28 years old, and his career will unquestionably continue; it simply cannot be in Kansas City.