Chiefs bringing in offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and running back Elijah Mitchell, AP sources say

By Canadian Press on March 10, 2025.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a two-year, $30 million contract with offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and a one-year, $3.5 million contract with his former 49ers teammate Elijah Mitchell, two people familiar with the deals told The Associated Press.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because neither contract has become official.

The Chiefs spent the entire season searching for an upgrade at left tackle after rookie Kingsley Suamataia and second-year pro Wanya Morris struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes. They ultimately slid All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to tackle for the stretch run and the playoffs, but they were still unable to protect Mahomes in a lopsided Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia.

Last week, the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Bears for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft, creating another hole along their offensive line. It is possible that Suamataia transitions from tackle to guard and gets the first chance at that spot.

The trade nevertheless left Kansas City with one fewer option to play offensive tackle. And when the Ravens signed Ronnie Stanley to a three-year, $60 million contract to keep the best potential option off the free-agent market, the Chiefs began to look elsewhere, and they ultimately settled on a tackle in Moore who appeared in 55 games the past four years in San Francisco.

The 27-year-old Moore was picked by the 49ers in the fifth round out of the 2021 draft of Western Michigan. And while he only started 12 games for San Francisco, five of them came late last season, and he fared well in the expanded role.

The Chiefs could still draft an offensive tackle to provide competition or serve as an understudy, but Moore at least solidifies one of their biggest holes. They already have signed center Creed Humphrey to a long-term deal and are working on an extension for right guard Trey Smith, whom they used the franchise tag on earlier in the offseason.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs signed the 26-year-old Mitchell in the hopes he can revitalized an injury-prone career in Kansas City.

Mitchell wowed scouts at the NFL combine in 2021, when he ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, and he ran for nearly 1,000 yards in just 11 games as a rookie. But Mitchell only appeared in five games the following year because of knee injuries, and 11 games two seasons ago, before landing on the reserve/injured list during last year’s roster cuts because of a hamstring injury.

The only other running backs on the Kansas City roster had been Isiah Pacheco, who is entering a contract year after missing a portion of last season because of an injury, along with journeyman Keontay Ingram and hybrid-fullback Carson Steele.

Their third-down back, Samaje Perine, is a free agent along with Kareem Hunt, who played well for the Chiefs after Pacheco got hurt. Hunt went unsigned last offseason because of an injury but is expected to get plenty of offers this offseason.

The two moves Monday — two days before the official start of the league year — continued a busy stretch for the Kansas City front office, which is trying to retool after the blowout Super Bowl loss to the Eagles. They agreed with wide receiver Marquise Brown on an $11 million contract on Saturday and linebacker Nick Bolton on a three-year, $45 million deal on Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press

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