The NFL's trade deadline is just days away, and talks between teams are notably heating up. For franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs with clear Super Bowl aspirations, adding rather than subtracting to the squad will be of utmost importance, most notably on the offensive side of the ball.
Key additions must be made at wide receiver, and while the likelihood of Brett Veach being willing to part ways with a first-round pick in exchange for an elite player like Garrett Wilson or Nico Collins may be higher than year's past, it takes two sides to tango.
Kansas City may be able to add a receiver, and hopefully a meaningful one. But chances are, it won't be a team-altering move. Left tackle, however, does have some potential to be an organizational shift.
If Kansas City is truly serious about contending, finding Patrick Mahomes a legit left tackle is where the job starts for Brett Veach
The Chiefs should absolutely scour the market for premium tackles, as despite Kahli Benson's strong play this year, there are clear handicaps with him on the field full-time. Adding a guy like Jordan Mailata of the Philadelphia Eagles could have just as much impact on the offense as adding a superstar pass-catcher, just in a different way.
The 29-year-old Mailata is in the heart of his prime, has been an elite talent for years, and acquiring his contract in a trade would not hurt the Chiefs' financial situation at all. His cap hits would be roughly $1M for the rest of this season, $5.6M in 2027, and $9.6M in 2028. The Eagles would be forced to pay over $45M in dead cap over two years and probably have to pay a portion of the void years on his deal as well.
Kansas City would likely have to extend Mailata in the coming offseason, at a near clip of $30M/year. But for a team that does have cash flexibility and has been searching for Patrick Mahomes' blindside protector for years, it's not exactly a tough decision to make.
The towering 6'8", 365 lb Mailata has been a top-three left tackle for half a decade. And he's putting together another career-best performance, coming in with an 84.6 overall blocking grade on PFF, which ranks third among his position.
How receptive would the Eagles be to trading a franchise cornerstone?
Two questions loom large in this discussion, though. Would the Eagles be willing to trade a franchise pillar in the midst of a lost season? And how much would Veach have to surrender to acquire one of the best players in football?
Only the Eagles and Howie Roseman know the answers to those questions, but I can assure you Mailata won't come cheap. Certainly, in the realm of a first-round pick, and it probably does not stop there.
But if the Chiefs are serious about helping their Super Bowl MVP quarterback, swinging for the fences on elite, proven talent isn't a bad way to go.
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