The Chiefs will miss the playoffs again
Two things, I think, are equally true. First, the Chiefs have gotten better this offseason. Secondly, this will not be enough.
Kansas City’s roster is once again very shaky. The Chiefs have done a commendable job of building around their players (Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones) for a while now. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s uncanny ability to turn mid-round cornerbacks into viable starters has allowed them to survive the departures of Charvarius Ward, L’Jarius Sneed and Tyrann Mathieu. Offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Orlando Brown Jr. were acquired and then quickly replaced.
But over time, the well dries up. Jawaan Taylor was expected to be the cornerstone at right tackle. Safety Chamarri Conner was supposed to be another Spagnuolo success story. Felix Anudike-Uzoma would bring some much-needed juice to the edge. Wide receiver Hollywood Brown would mitigate Tyreek Hill’s lost impact. Contenders with high-priced rosters must continually innovate their schemes and find low-cost contributors in both the draft and free agency. General manager Brett Veach failed to contribute, and coach Andy Reid’s offense became stale.
The Chiefs’ performance was of particular concern. He didn’t exist. In theory, physical running backs Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt will stick to the schedule in the shotgun offense, forcing opposing defenses to at least respect the ground game. But Pacheco and Hunt were so lacking in explosion that defenders didn’t have to worry about the lightbox giving up a big run. In 2024 and 2025, the Chiefs had two of their three least explosive seasons this century.
Of course, the front office saw this and added Kenneth Walker III, a home run hitter and reigning Super Bowl MVP. But ideally, running back is one of those positions that makes the opposing team win financially. The Chiefs had to pay a high price to sign Walker due to their inability to develop an alternative. That means they have less margin for error in places like the secondary, where Jalen Watson and Trent McDuffie no longer take snaps. And at receiver, where Rashi Rice should again be the load-bearing wall of a thin group.