Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs headlines for Saturday, February 15
NFL rookie grades: Ranking each 2024 draft class, from No. 1 to 32 | NFL.com
29 - Kansas City Chiefs
Class grade: C-
Kansas City’s first two picks loomed large in Super Bowl LIX, even though only one of them played in the blowout loss. Let’s start with the good. Xavier Worthy steadily progressed over the course of the season, becoming the Chiefs’ go-to guy down the stretch. Catching at least five passes in seven straight starts leading into Super Bowl Sunday, Worthy saved his best for last, corralling all eight of his targets for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, most of the production came after the game was already decided, but the rookie’s first 100-yard effort might have been the only silver lining of a K.C. nightmare. Speaking of nightmares, the Chiefs’ offensive line was a ticking time bomb all season long, ultimately exploding on football’s biggest stage. While both bookends proved problematic, the left tackle spot was the constant issue Andy Reid had to scheme around. Second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia started the first two games in September but struggled so mightily he spent the rest of the season as a reserve, not playing a snap in the Super Bowl. No one’s saying Suamataia can’t take significant strides this offseason and re-emerge as a factor in Year 2, but he clearly wasn’t ready to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blind side in Year 1.
6 Trades, Free-agency Decisions and Teams That Could Define 2025 NFL Offseason | Bleacher Report
Can the Chiefs Keep Their Heads Above Water?
Trey Smith could leave in free agency to sign with a cap-rich team like the Patriots, but it doesn’t stop there for the defending AFC champions. The Chiefs have been hemorrhaging talent for several years, and it’s hard to imagine them hanging on much longer.
Starters Charles Omenihu, Justin Reid and Nick Bolton are also slated to join Smith on the open market, as well as Marquise Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, Tershawn Wharton and Josh Uche.
For a team with limited cap space and draft capital, that could be a problem.
The Chiefs were lucky to land in the Super Bowl despite a mediocre offense and disappointing season from Patrick Mahomes in 2024. Accomplishing that required them to be perfect in 12 one-score regular-season and playoff games.
But with the aforementioned circumstances plaguing them entering this offseason, and with the Bills, Ravens, Bengals, Broncos and Chargers coming on in the AFC, we may be about to witness the fall of an empire.
Henry McKenna of Fox Sports reported that the team may have been dealing with some burnout after reaching three consecutive Super Bowls and that it could have contributed to the team’s 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
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