Despite boasting a perfect 5-0 record, things have been far from easy for the Kansas City Chiefs. Part of that is due to a lack of pristine health, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
The front line and receiver units have both been ravaged by injuries, and Week 6's win over the Los Angeles Chargers brought more of the same. Right tackle Jaylon Moore exited the contest and proceeded to enter the NFL's concussion protocol , making it two starting linemen down for Kansas City given that Josh Simmons has yet to even make his 2026 debut.
Keeping it on Moore's side, though, it'll be the Joshua Ezeudu show on Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. Is that cause for concern? Perhaps in the eyes of some fans, but not head coach Andy Reid.
Speaking to the media this week, Reid backed Ezeudu and said the Chiefs believe he can get the job done.
"First of all, he's played before, and when we brought him in, we knew that and we knew he was a good player," Reid said. "So now, potentially, there's an opportunity to be in there and play, and I thought he did a nice job when he was in there this past weekend. I think everybody around him has got confidence in him, too."
Reid doubled down on Ezeudu, citing the aforementioned Chargers cameo as cause for optimism.
"Well, he stepped in, he's in there for almost three quarters," Reid said. "And I thought he did a nice job, really held his own. Plus he's got experience. I mean, we've seen him play, and why we brought him here. We've got trust in him that he'll do a nice job."
It's ironic that Moore, who was originally brought in during the 2025 offseason to be the club's starting left tackle, was filling in on the right side. The same irony applies in the case of Ezeudu, who was acquired via trade from the New York Giants in August after being exclusively a left-side player at both tackle and guard. That didn't stop Kansas City from fielding him as a Moore replacement in Week 6. What did the results show?
For the most part, it's hard to find any bones to pick with Ezeudu's outing. On film, he looked comfortable and fared better than expected for someone being thrown into the fire with no notice. Outlets like Pro Football Focus also reflect a quality showing, as he played 35 snaps and was credited with just one pressure allowed (16 pass protection opportunities).
Following up such a performance with a respectable one versus Seattle is paramount, albeit something that could prove quite difficult. Per TruMedia , the Seahawks own football's fourth-highest pressure rate (41.3%) and do it while running five-man pressures at the third-lowest rate in the sport (16.4%). Head coach Mike Macdonald is a mad scientist and has the personnel to match.
Moore was far from dominant in Weeks 1-6, so Exeudu doesn't have to be spectacular to get the job done. He simply needs to help get Kansas City through Sunday with a victory, which Reid seems to anticipate happening.
The Chiefs' plan for prime time will soon reveal whether that expectation turns out to be a reality.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chiefs/onsi as Chiefs Unfazed by Being Down to Backup OT Joshua Ezeudu: 'We've Got Trust' .
