Free agency always brings changes. Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, and Matthew Stafford have seen that with their respective teams this offseason. But they also witnessed what a surprising turn of events the open market can take, with a former Kansas City Chiefs player surprisingly joining the Los Angeles Rams when everyone thought he’d be heading to the San Francisco 49ers.
In the NFL, you can never take things for granted. Especially when it comes to a player’s future in free agency. If not, just look at D.J. Humphries, who was expected to leave Mahomes’ Chiefs for Purdy‘s 49ers. Instead, the veteran tackle will join forces with Stafford on the Rams.
On Thursday, June 12, the California-based franchise announced the signing of the 31-year-old for the 2025 NFL season. The announcement may have confused some fans, as not long ago it was expected that Humphries would protect Purdy, not Stafford.
The reason Humphries will play for Rams and not 49ers, as previously suggested
And there were reasons to imagine Humphries in a 49ers uniform. Late in April, only a few days after the 2025 NFL Draft, Humphries’ agents announced on social media that his client had reached an agreement to play in the Bay area.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle D.J. Humphries looks on after a game.
It turns out that the contract was never finalized, which kept the offensive lineman in free agency. Flash-forward to June, the football community now finds out that Humphries will be moving to the West Coast, but to a different destination.
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Humphries looking for redemption after short stint with Mahomes’ Chiefs
Humphries spent last season with the Chiefs on an expiring contract, and Kansas City was well aware that their partnership could last only a few months. The then two-time defending champions signed him in November, hoping to fix their problems at left tackle before the postseason.
However, the problems to protect Mahomes’ blindside continued. Humphries got injured in his very first appearance in a Chiefs uniform, being sidelined during the Week 14 win over divisional rivals Los Angeles Chargers.
The veteran tackle, who had previously spent eight seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, never got the job back and ended up watching the Chiefs’ brutal loss in Super Bowl LIX on the sideline. Now, he has a chance to bounce back and prove his worth in the league.
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While the deal with the 49ers and subsequent possibility to protect Purdy fell apart, Humphries will still get to play alongside a star QB in Stafford. The Rams were one of the few teams to win a Super Bowl in the same era of Mahomes’ Chiefs dynasty, so it will be interesting to see what they can do in 2025.
