4 Former Chiefs Still Unemployed to Begin Season
By Joe Summers
![Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jack Cochrane (43) and defensive tackle Matt Dickerson (93) make the sack on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during late first quarter action. The Jaguars led 20 to 10 at the end of the first half. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in the Jaguars first preseason game of the season Saturday, August10, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_45/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2F220%2F01j7exak4sh5ac36a6ym.jpg "Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jack Cochrane (43) and defensive tackle Matt Dickerson (93) make the sack on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during late first quarter action. The Jaguars led 20 to 10 at the end of the first half. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in the Jaguars first preseason game of the season Saturday, August10, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]")
Week 1 of the NFL season has come and gone and to no one's surprise, the Chiefs once again look like the league's best team. They escaped with a victory over the Ravens and are heavily favored to beat the Bengals at home in Week 2.
First-round rookie Xavier Worthy might've been the most impressive player in his draft class, though there's a lot of the season left for others to emerge. In the meantime, there are plenty of free agents still looking for work.
Kadarius Toney has a new home, yet some former Chiefs haven't yet found new opportunities in the 2024-25 season. Let's go through a few of them here heading into the second week of the campaign.
Former Chiefs Still Unemployed
1. Donovan Smith - OT
The starting left tackle for last year's Super Bowl-winning team is surprisingly on the streets but appears to be a priority free agent for a number of teams around the NFL. Multiple starters suffered injuries in Week 1, with the Los Angeles Rams in particular needing to use a third-string left tackle in a loss to the Detroit Lions.
A second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Smith has eight years of experience with a pair of championships to his name. He's a quality starter and shouldn't be a free agent for much longer given his experience. It was a bit of a surprise that the Chiefs didn't bring him back to begin with, though second-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia looks like Kansas City's left tackle of the future.
Whether it's with the Rams or another team, Smith has proven he belongs on an NFL roster. At 31 years old, he might not be an impact starter, but there's no reason for him not to play on Sundays. As more injuries inevitably happen, the demand for Smith will grow.
Should Kansas City suffer an unexpected injury, perhaps he'll be back for another run at the title. More than likely though, Smith will soon sign with a competitive team in need of a replacement.