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Former Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is not to be trifled with, even in retirement.

Most of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ starting lineup on offense is already set.

Many of the changes they have made on that side of the ball have been within the coaching staff, which included bringing back Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, as well as hiring Chad O’Shea as wide receivers coach, and DeMarco Murray as running backs coach.

The Chiefs will bring back many of their top pass catchers from last season, such as Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton. The only position that appears to still be up in the air is right tackle. Veteran Jawaan Taylor was cut during the offseason for salary cap savings, and Kansas City did not address the position during free agency or the draft.

Former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro OT Mitchell Schwartz Believes Jaylon Moore Will Step up in 2026

Schwartz had an incredible run with the Chiefs from 2016-2020, earning four All-Pro selections and winning Super Bowl LIV during that span. He also played 7,894 consecutive snaps that spanned across 121 games over eight seasons dating back to his time with the Cleveland Browns, who drafted Schwartz back in 2012.

Unfortunately, a back injury that ended his 2020 season prematurely led to his release in the following offseason. Schwartz would not play again, officially retiring in 2022. These days you can see him talking a lot of Chiefs football on X. This past weekend, he had this to say about Moore stepping up as the team’s starting right tackle in 2026:

“He’s (Moore) also going to be better this year. He was signed after primarily playing LT in SF to play LT. Was LT in OTAs while Josh (Simmons) was still recovering and spent most of his game time at LT during Josh’s in-season absence. An entire year penciled in at RT should lead to more comfort.”

As Schwartz alluded to, Moore has primarily at left tackle during his five-year NFL career. He did an admirable job in six starts last season in place of Simmons, and also got in the mix a bit at right tackle. Entering the final year of his contract, he could earn an extension if he secures the starting RT role and plays well.

Examining the Chiefs’ Offensive Tackles

Simmons will hold down the left side, and the Chiefs are hoping he will be their franchise LT for the foreseeable future. Unlike last year, Simmons is completely healthy for offseason activities. After getting his feet wet with eight starts as a rookie and entering his second year in the system, Simmons could be primed to establish himself among the best in the NFL.

Moore will have some competition for the starting RT job. Second-year man Esa Pole could be in the mix after making four starts in 2025, although those came at LT. Pole is a physical force at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, which was put on display at times last season. A potential dark horse could be undrafted free agent Kahlil Benson, who started at RT for the national champion Indiana Hoosiers in 2025.