The Chiefs finally have their receiver room back in one piece after Rashee Rice’s return, and just like that, they’ve clawed their way from a rough 0-2 start to a respectable 4-3. Patrick Mahomes looks like the Mahomes we all know. The defense has been holding strong, and things were finally falling into place. Then came DT Omarr Norman-Lott’s season-ending injury, and Chris Jones is pretty shaken up about it.

“That’s my little brother, man. Very unfortunate situation, and I’m praying for him,” fellow DT Chris Jones said. “He’s such a hungry bull, and he was finally getting it together and coming along. After Week 2, he had that injury. He was finally getting healthy and being able to play, and I started being dependent on him to take up the double team for me. To have him go down, we lose a big part of our defense. Even though he’s a young player, we ask him to do a lot.”

It’s tough watching a rookie fight his way into rhythm only to have it all ripped away. Norman-Lott went down late in the third quarter against the Raiders, trying to chase down rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. As he hit the turf, Raiders left tackle Stone Forsythe fell right on top of him.

Norman-Lott grabbed his knee immediately. The pain was obvious, and everyone knew it was going to be bad as his teammates took him off the field. To make things even tougher, head coach Andy Reid had been planning to expand Norman-Lott’s snaps in the coming weeks.

The idea was to let him grow into a steady piece of the pass rush, learning from guys like Chris Jones along the way. Instead, his season ends after just five games, with five tackles and a sack to his name. Now, the Chiefs are left with a big hole in the middle.

The move that followed raised some eyebrows: Kansas City elevated cornerback Kevin Knowles to the active roster after Norman-Lott’s injury. A CB instead of a DT? It’s a curious decision, but maybe Reid’s just keeping things flexible while the front office works the phones.

Because let’s be honest, the Chiefs need to add reinforcements to their pass rush before the trade deadline on November 4.

KC Chiefs need to prioritize pass rush amid the trade deadline

It cannot be more obvious: this team needs help up front. Kevin Patra of NFL.com put it as well as anyone could. “Walloping Las Vegas didn’t change the deadline priority in K.C.” The Chiefs generated just six total pressures against a shaky Raiders offensive line, according to PFF. Chris Jones was responsible for half of those on his own.

Kansas City has things clicking elsewhere. The offense is back in sync, the secondary has tightened up, but the pass rush remains a glaring weak spot. Without Norman-Lott, the interior defensive line looks dangerously thin. Right now, it’s just Jones, Jerry Tillery, and Derrick Nnadi holding the fort, with Felix Anudike-Uzomah still stuck on injured reserve.

Jones can only do so much; he can’t carry the entire line by himself. Through seven weeks, the Chiefs have managed just 15 sacks, and their 38% pass-rush win rate ranks only 21st in the league. That’s not the stat line of a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

If defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and GM Brett Veach can find the right guy before November 4, it could make all the difference. But if they decide to stand pat with what they’ve got, fans might need to buckle up. It could be a long, frustrating second half of the season.