Chiefs re-sign free-agent offensive lineman Andrew Wylie

Shortly after Wednesday’s opening of the NFL’s free agency period, Pro Football Focus’ Ari Meirov reported that the Kansas City Chiefs have re-signed free-agent offensive lineman Andrew Wylie to a one-year contract.

The deal is said to be worth $2.5 million.

Now beginning his fifth year with the Chiefs, the 27-year-old Wylie — who started his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted out of Eastern Michigan in 2017 — took a while to find his place in the league. Released by the Ravens, he spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers before Kansas City signed him to their practice squad just before quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ rookie debut against the Denver Broncos in the final game of the 2017 season.

Since then, he’s appeared in 54 Chiefs games — starting 42 of them — winning the team’s Mack Lee Hill award as the team’s outstanding rookie in 2018. In 2021, he started seven games at right tackle after both Lucas Niang and Mike Remmers were injured.

“Even before this year, he stepped in and started a bunch of games for us at left guard, at right guard, tackle [and] so on,” Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck told reporters in late December. “Then this year — same thing. He’s been ready to go at any one of those positions. We needed him at tackle — and then he stepped in.

“The other thing that Andrew brings — really — is an energy, a toughness. He’s a tough kid that loves football. He’s absolutely essential to what we’re doing here. Those kinds of unheralded guys that do the dirty work like that? That’s what it’s all about.”