3 lineman the Chiefs can sign after Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opted out

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has opted out of playing the 2020 season, so here are 3 lineman the Chiefs can sign to replace him.

As the NFL gets closer to the scheduled start of the 2020 season, it’s inevitable players will decided not to play due to COVID-19 concerns. Someone had to be first, and Kansas City Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has decided to opt out of the coming season.

Duvernay-Tardif is the first active NFL player to graduate from medical school. He has spent his offseason working at a long-term care facility in his native Canada, on the proverbial front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Here is part of Durvenay-Tardif’s statement about this decision, via Twitter.

“This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in my life, but I must follow my convictions and do what I believe is right for me personally,”

“Being at the front line during this offseason has given me a different perspective on this pandemic and the stress it puts on individuals and our healthcare system. I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus to our communities simply to play the sport I love. If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients.”

Duvernay-Tardif has started at least 11 games at right guard for the Chiefs four times in the last five seasons. So purely on the football end, he’s leaving a void for the defending Super Bowl champions as they launch preparations for the season.

As they look to replace Duvernay-Tardif this year, here are three lineman the Chiefs could sign.

3. Ronald Leary

After a mediocre 2019 season as he returned from an Achilles injury and also missed time with a concussion, the Denver Broncos made an obvious decision not to pick up Leary’s $8.15 million option for 2020. A return to the Dallas Cowboys, where he spent the first part of his career, seemed possible but it hasn’t happened.

Leary has played both guard spots in his career at a solid level, but injuries hampered all three of his seasons in Denver. At 31 years old, those durability concerns aren’t going away. The pandemic has prevented teams from checking him out physically, but as training camps get going it would not be surprising to see Leary’s market loosen some. in terms of rumored interest.

The Chiefs don’t have a lot of cap space to play with, but Leary’s not in position to have anything beyond an opportunity guaranteed to him.