Chiefs Trade Pitch Targets 2-Time All-Pro as Kingsley Suamataia Insurance

In order to franchise tag right guard Trey Smith, re-sign linebacker Nick Bolton, and still carry out the free agent additions that they thought necessary, the Kansas City Chiefs made the difficult decision to trade four-time Super Bowl champion and All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears earlier this spring.

Not long after, it became apparent why retaining both Thuney and Smith was probably not possible, as the Bears agreed to a new deal that paid the former Chief $35 million over the next two seasons.

Kansas City is still tight on cap space as of June 24, with just under $11 million in available space, according to Over the Cap. But they should free up a significant amount of space once general manager Brett Veach and Smith work out an extension.

Keep in mind, the starting right guard is currently playing on a fully guaranteed $23.402 million cap hit, which can easily be lowered via an extension.

With that in mind, Pro Football Network suggested the Chiefs call the Cleveland Browns about potentially trading for the missing piece in a document shared with Heavy.

And that player is Wyatt Teller — an experienced two-time second-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl guard who can step in Week 1 and serve as an immediate upgrade over Kingsley Suamataia or Mike Caliendo.

Pro Football Network Explains Wyatt Teller to Chiefs Trade Idea

Pro Football Network’s NFL analysts went on to detail why this trade idea might make sense for both sides. Here’s what that had to say:

After their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs headed into the offseason with a clear need to bolster both front lines. The OL performed well in 2024, finishing 12th in our rankings, and most starting spots are locked in for 2025. However, the trade that sent Thuney to the Bears has left a vacancy at left guard that still needs to be addressed.

Second-year lineman Kingsley Suamataia had his struggles at left tackle last season, but he’ll likely get every opportunity to compete for a starting role on the interior. He might be a better fit there, but even if he settles in well, the guard depth behind Suamataia and Trey Smith remains a concern.

If he doesn’t pan out, the Chiefs could look to pursue a veteran like Wyatt Teller via trade.

Both of the Browns’ long-time starting guards are entering the final year of their deals in 2025. Joel Bitonio is a little older at 33, and the 30-year-old Teller could have stronger trade value. Moving Teller after June 1 saves Cleveland $7 million in cap room this year while taking on $19.2 million in dead money through 2028.

Even though Teller has played right guard for most of his NFL career, he’s a three-time Pro Bowler who offers versatility and could slot in at left guard for Kansas City if needed.

Is Wyatt Teller Trade With Browns Feasible for Chiefs?

PFN does make a pretty compelling argument for the Browns to trade Teller, especially if Cleveland gets off to a rough start and decides to start selling off pieces.

Of course, from a Chiefs perspective, you’d rather know your starting five on the offensive line well before Week 1. But who knows, maybe KC rolls the dice with Suamataia and Caliendo, and it goes horribly wrong, forcing them to make a midseason trade.

In that scenario, the Chiefs and Browns could certainly line up as trade partners as a sort of insurance policy, or backup plan, for the second-year draft pick.

After all, Kansas City brought in free agent D.J. Humphries during the season last year with the intention of him taking over for Suamataia and Wanya Morris at left tackle, so this eerily similar possibility is not that hard to believe.

Financially speaking, the Chiefs could make this deal work, but they’d have to hammer out terms with Smith on an extension first. Until that happens, they cannot afford a player with Teller’s $14-plus million cap hit, even if the Browns help by paying a portion of his salary.

Teller only started 13 games in 2024, but he’s started 91 out of 99 appearances since entering the league in 2018 (including playoffs). His addition would immediately re-establish the Chiefs’ interior offensive line as one of the best trios in all of football.