One of the more surprising moves the Kansas City Chiefs made this offseason was trading away offensive guard Joe Thuney. Thuney was a multi-time All-pro and Pro Bowler with the Chiefs, and the organization named their most valuable player of the 2024 season.
That said, a decision had to be made on whether to keep him or Trey Smith, and Kansas City chose the younger player in Smith. No matter which player left, the Chiefs were going to have to replace an All-Pro guard. That's no easy task, meaning they have to keep all options open.
One of those options is a familiar face. On Tuesday, the Chiefs re-signed Mike Caliendo, according to NFLTR. Despite his struggles, Caliendo's return to the team is not surprising.
Mike Caliendo Returns to Kansas City
Caliendo stepped in as the starting left guard in Week 15 this past season after Thuney was moved out to left tackle. The 27-year-old ultimately started six games, three regular season and all three postseason games. In his three regular-season appearances, Caliendo allowed one QB hit, five QB hurries, seven QB pressures, and zero sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Even though he wasn't necessarily an issue on the interior during the regular season, Caliendo only had one great performance. In Week 15, he received a 62.7 run-blocking grade, an 82.9 pass-blocking grade, and a 69.4 overall grade. However, that game was an outlier, as he finished three out of his five other games with grades in the 50's or below.
His worst two games came in the conference championship and Super Bowl, recording pass-blocking grades of 39.4 and 30.1, respectively. Moreover, in those two games, Caliendo had overall grades of 51.4 and 32.0.
Although Caliendo's chance of earning the starting spot in 2025 seems low, it is possible. At the very least, the 27-year-old could fill the backup spot like he did last season.