Protecting Mahomes: How the Chiefs plan to get it done with Kelechi Osemele down
Left guard Kelechi Osemele’s torn tendons in both knees will cause shuffling on the Chiefs’ offensive line.
Osemele, who suffered the injuries after playing just five snaps against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5, is in all likelihood done for the season, so the adjustments aren’t for the short term.
And in a league with the next-man-up mentality, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid made it clear who has the first shot at left guard alongside tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, center Austin Reiter and right guard Andrew Wylie.
“(Mike) Remmers would be the one who steps in right now,” Reid said Monday.
The Chiefs signed Remmers to a one-year deal during the offseason and he provides plenty of experience, having appeared in 79 games with 78 starts with six different teams from 2012 to 2019.
A versatile offensive lineman with ability to play tackle and guard, the 6-foot-5, 308-pound Remmers filled in for Osemele against the Raiders and finished the game playing 67 offensive snaps and four special teams snaps.
The Chiefs previously turned to Remmers to start at right guard against the in Week 3 when Wylie came down with a stomach illness shortly before kickoff and was declared inactive. With Remmers now having a dedicated spot at left guard during Osemele’s absence, the Chiefs must identify the next player to fill as the swing offensive lineman.
Kansas City currently carries nine offensive lineman, including Osemele, on the active 53-player roster and the options outside of the starting front five are second-year pro Nick Allegretti, veteran center Daniel Kilgore and rookie Yasir Durant.
The Chiefs could still look to bolster the roster with a free-agent signing. But if the team maintains the status quo, Allegretti projects as the main swing interior lineman.
“He’s been in kind of that swing position and kind of covering the bases of both the guards and at center,” Reid said. “So, he’ll still be in that position.”
Kansas City has guard Danny Isidora and rookie center/guard Darryl Williams on the practice squad. Of the two offensive linemen, Isidora provides NFL playing experience to potentially elevate to the active roster.
Before signing with the Chiefs practice squad in September, the 6-foot-3, 306-pound Isidora spent two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2017-18) and a season with the Miami Dolphins (2019), appearing in 24 career games with six starts over that span.
The Chiefs also have Martinas Rankin on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Rankin started five games at left guard in 2019 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 10.
The 6-foot-5, 311-pound Rankin, however, should be viewed as a long-range consideration, not immediate help.
Once he returns to on-field work after spending six weeks on the PUP list, the Chiefs will have a 21-day window to decide whether to activate Rankin to the active roster or shut him down for the rest of the season.
“Rank(in) has done a good job of working to get back,” Reid said. “He’s not quite there yet, but he’s working at it.”
In the meantime, the loss of Osemele, a 2016 first-team All Pro selection and a two-time Pro Bowler (2016-17), significantly affects the Chiefs’ offensive line.
But the team appears to have in-house players to fill the void with an immediate starter in Remmers and viable option for depth purposes.
