Perhaps the most notable positional battle coming out of Kansas City Chiefs training camp has been the right tackle battle between veteran Jaylon Moore and rookie UDFA Kahlil Benson. The Chiefs can sleep well at night knowing that Josh Simmons has the left tackle spot locked down, as he's mightily impressed in camp, and the interior of the o-line is about as good as it gets with Kingsley Suamataia and Trey Smith manning each guard spot with Creed Humphrey at the center of it all.
Ever since the start of August, Benson has taken nearly every first-team rep on the right side, with Moore backing him up. Could the Chiefs have found a diamond in the rough with Benson? Maybe. But there have been too many clips coming out of camp of the 6'6", 320 lb Benson struggling with his foot speed and strength.
Here's Khalil Benson working with Felix Anudike-Uzomah in 1-on-1. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/zztHJQ50eQ
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) August 3, 2026
Moore, 29, is certainly the safer option as he started in six games for the Chiefs last season with years of experience under his belt. Either way, the battle is evidence that KC feels confident they have a couple of good options to fill the role. But just because they now have some depth doesn't mean trading away Moore to a tackle-needy team like the Washington Commanders, who just lost LT Laremy Tunsil for a large portion of the year due to a torn triceps, is a good idea.
What could the Chiefs realistically get in return for trading Jaylon Moore?
Moore was originally brought to KC last offseason via free agency on a two-year, $30 million contract to start at left tackle. However, in a draft surprise, Josh Simmons fell to them at the end of the first round and immediately took over the job, leaving Moore as a backup swing tackle behind now-departed Jawaan Taylor.
He has certainly proven he can play to the level of an average starter, but not for an extended period of time. Tack on the $14.2 million base salary he would command in a trade, and Moore would likely go for nothing more than a fifth-round pick.
Is that return for the Chiefs really enough to let Moore go and trust that a guy like Benson, who hasn't seen an NFL snap yet, can carry the burden for an entire year? I don't think so. What the Chiefs could do that may amp up the compensation is eat some of Moore's base salary, which could force a team to give him up for a fourth or potentially even a third, depending on how much money the Chiefs take on and how desperate Washington wants to be.
In that case, it may seem feasible to acquire a late 2027 third for Moore, but it's certainly not a guarantee. General manager Brett Veach is no doubt going to at least call up the Commanders and get a sense of what they would be willing to work out.
And who knows. If the Chiefs do end up trading Moore and freeing up, for example, $8 million, that would give them enough ammo to go after a veteran pass-rusher or wide receiver still unsigned on the free agency market.
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