Matt Nagy on 'Infectious Personality' of D.J. Humphries, Projection for KC's New LT

With D.J. Humphries now ramping up in Kansas City, Matt Nagy discussed the Chiefs' newest offensive tackle pickup.

October 15, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle D.J. Humphries (74) during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs shook up their offensive line room this week when they officially signed left tackle D.J. Humphries to a one-year contract. With the former Pro Bowler now participating in his first week of practice, he'll get acclimated to life with a contending team down the stretch of the season.

If it seems rare that a Super Bowl hopeful adds a big-name player this late in the year, it's because it is. Now nearly a month removed from the NFL trade deadline, Kansas City is still attempting to shore up a position that's struggled thus far. As a result, Humphries finds himself in a challenging situation but does have a handful of weeks to adjust before the playoffs arrive.

While offensive coordinator Matt Nagy knows this is a somewhat unorthodox move by the Chiefs, Humphries is already making himself at home.

"You can't remember too many of them that come in to play like that," Nagy said. "Getting to meet D.J. and just see what he's about and listen to his story, I was talking to him yesterday. Ironically, our icebreaker was his dad and I were teammates in the Arena League in 2004. It makes you feel old and gray real quick. He was great, and I love his personality. He's excited to get in here and just kind of learn what we do and how we do things and be a part of it. He has an infectious personality, and he's a hell of a player. He's experienced, so he wants to be able to help out in any way possible, but there will be some time involved. I just love his personality."

Nagy isn't sure exactly when the former Arizona Cardinals standout will be ready to play, as it's a nuanced evaluation process for both the Chiefs and their new pickup.

"Honestly, I don't know that," Nagy said. "I think it's probably day-by-day as you go through to see where he's at. There's so much that goes into it. Again, with any player that comes off an injury or comes to a new team on top of that, it's going to take some time. I think you want to make sure that you're making the best judgment not just for the team but for the player, too, so they can excel. I think that's a Coach (Andy) Reid and Brett Veach question. I'm just excited to see him get out at practice."

Humphries has multiple things working against him but also in his favor. On one hand, he's coming off a late 2023 ACL tear and is trying to latch on with a team that can't afford to take too many risks at this juncture. There are physical and mental hurdles he must clear before getting back on the field, and a starting spot hasn't been publicly declared his when he's ready. On the other hand, Humphries isn't competing with an elite cast in Kansas City and his tape from last season was better than anyone who played left tackle for the eventual champs. If he's even 85-90% of the player he was last year, he'd be a noticeable upgrade over Wanya Morris and a massive one over Kingsley Suamataia.

That's a list of several caveats. Humphries isn't a sure thing to pan out in Kansas City. Nagy thinks if he can just be himself, though, everything will go as planned.

"Just play the way he's been playing his entire career," Nagy said. "I think if you keep it that simple, that's important. With Wanya and Kingsley and all these other guys that are playing for us right now, just keep improving in practice. Just become a part of what we're doing and just try to be the best him he can be."

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