One of the hallmarks of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2025 failures has been a refusal to change. It seems Andy Reid’s coaching staff has no interest in making risky moves or doing anything considered to be outside the norm. This has been reflected in a bland offensive attack that isn’t working, and player decisions that have allowed failing pieces to continue to play a starting or contributing role. This is on full display yet again this week with The Kansas City Star’s Pete Sweeney reporting that, “Andy Reid confirmed the O-line that finished the last game — (left to right) Pole, Suamataia, Humphrey, Caliendo, Moore — will be the same vs. LAC.”
This means Chiefs fans will yet again be subjected to guard Mike Caliendo being part of the starting lineup despite it being glaringly obvious that a change is needed. The guard has only committed three penalties this season in three starts, but is clearly overmatched in the trenches. Watching the offensive line play, it is clear that the pressure is on the rest of the interior due to Caliendo’s shortcomings.
So far this season in limited snaps, Caliendo has already allowed 18 pressures and has a passing blocking Pro Football Focus grade of 35.6, ranking him 76th out of 80 qualifiers. Fans don’t need the PFF grade or the stats showing the pressure allowed to know that it has been bad for the guard just by watching him play week in and week out; the poor blocking is obvious, there is no avoiding it.
Still, the Chiefs remain content to keep the status quo and trot Caliendo back out in the starting lineup because that is the established depth chart. It feels that the way this team manages itself has grown archaic overnight. There was a time when Reid’s offense and decisions were pushing the envelope, indicating a unique group of outside-the-box decision-makers. Now, it’s easy to wonder whether that time has passed.
Chiefs Opting to Start Mike Caliendo Points to Deeper Organizational Failures
This has been flipped on its head this season, with Kansas City appearing afraid to take any meaningful risk. This goes deeper than just the offensive line, too. From the way management handled the trade deadline to how snaps are managed across both sides of the ball, it tells the story. Indecisiveness is not the way the Chiefs climbed to the top of the mountain in the NFL, and it certainly won’t help them stay there now that the rest of the league has been chasing them for the better part of a decade.
Now, this is a group that looks averse to risk, content to move forward with the underachieving pieces they are familiar with, rather than make the difficult decisions they are paid to make in an attempt to do what is necessary to save a sinking season. Now, ahead of a must-win game with the Chiefs needing to run the table, in addition to receiving some major help, to have a chance to qualify for the playoffs, the franchise is still sticking to its aging style, refusing to take a risk.
One would think that tackle Esa Pole serves as an example of the surprise gems you can find if you simply give players a chance. The tackle was forced to step in a week ago for an injured Wanya Morris and gave up only three pressures on more than 40 passing snaps.
Still, the Chiefs refuse to learn their lesson and continue to mire in mediocrity, seemingly afraid to think outside of the depth chart and established snaps. This way of thinking has Kansas City sitting at 6-7 on the year and is exactly why they’re headed towards the first season where Kansas City misses the playoffs with Patrick Mahomes under center.
Choosing to start Caliendo is deeper than one decision; it is indicative of an organizational failure that refuses to see the writing on the wall, content to maintain the status quo and absorb its failures. Hardly the outlook you expect from a team that has been the league’s prestige organization over the last half-decade.
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