Chiefs 'have a lot of trust' in offensive lineman Jaylon Moore
Moore could start a second straight game
The Chiefs currently have a solution at left tackle for however long rookie Josh Simmons is away.
With Simmons out in Week 6 against the Detroit Lions, Jaylon Moore proved he can be the next man up.
And it comes with the Chiefs’ confidence.
“He’s handled that part well,” coach Andy Reid said. “He’s a competitive kid and he did come here to step in. And you never know about drafts and that, but he’s always ready and he practices a third of the practice because (offensive line coach) Andy (Heck) rotates him in there.
“I thought he did a nice job the other night, played well. We have a lot of trust in him – most of all the guys have trust in him. That’s the most important thing.”
Moore originally joined the Chiefs as a free agent during the offseason on a two-year contract, and it was assumed then that he would be the starter at left tackle.
The Chiefs, though, selected Simmons in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he eventually won the job before the end of training camp.
Simmons started the first five games of the regular season, but the Chiefs ruled him out in Week 6 with a non-injury/personal designation just hours before kickoff. Simmons has yet to practice this week, and the Chiefs haven’t provided much information on his status.
Nevertheless, the team has a plug-and-play option with Moore, who can play both tackles spots and guard.
Moore felt he performed well against the Lions, and he stood out because he played clean football without drawing a penalty. He also limited Pro Bowl defensive end Aidan Hutchinson’s effectiveness.
“I think personally for me, there were a few technique things I got to clean up going forward,” Moore told KC Sports Network on Thursday. “But it was good to get some game speed, game time, game tempo to be able to feel it out and address those things this week.”
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Simmons will be available for Week 7’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Moore, though, is approaching the practice week differently from a physical standpoint when compared to recent weeks.
He’s always locked in mentally despite only receiving a handful of snaps with the first-team offense.
Now, he’s preparing to absorb a bigger practice workload with the starting unit.
“I mean, obviously I’ll get a few more reps with the ones, so that always helps,” Moore said. “Not too much different.”
