Arrowhead Pride
As the team prepares to open camp in St. Joseph, which Kansas City players are trending up (or down)?
During this offseason, things have been relatively quiet for the Kansas City Chiefs. But I’d argue that for the team’s fans, training camp is one of the most exciting times of the year. Optimism and anticipation is always fun, right? We’ll be paying close attention to every little nugget of news from Missouri Western University in St. Joseph — especially ones that confirm our optimism for our favorite players.
It’s also a time to revamp my Market Movers rankings for the coming season. Each year, I rank every member of the 53-man Chiefs roster (plus the predicted practice squad) based on my opinion of each player’s impact on the team. I compare this to their salary-cap impact, so I can see who is overvalued or undervalued. Finally, I divide them into tiers based on how they compare with others across the league.
This year, I’ve added a new tier: Future Hall-of-Famers. That group now includes quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones. All of them moved from the previous top category: Among NFL Elite. Center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith and cornerback Trent McDuffie have all moved into that tier.
As we head into training camp, here are a few Kansas City players who might be moving up (or down) in the rankings — or at least have a golden opportunity to make a move.
T Josh Simmons: The hype train has left the station! The former Ohio State tackle has been getting rave reviews on his attitude, work ethic — and most importantly — his health. Could this be a situation similar to what we saw with Trey Smith’s rookie season, where Simmons begins camp as a starter and never lets go? Based on the trajectory we’ve already seen with the team’s first-round pick, don’t be surprised if he gets the left tackle job quickly.
WR Xavier Worthy: In his rookie season, the former Texas wideout was pressed into action a bit faster than the team probably intended. But when Rashee Rice went down at the start of Game 4, plans had to change. As the season wore on, Worthy delivered, scoring 12 total touchdowns (including playoffs), with two of his best performances in the AFC Championship and Super Bowl. Now it looks like Rice will be suspended, missing part of the upcoming season. When you combine that opportunity with the team’s stated plan to bring back the deep passing game — and (hopefully) have improved pass protection — it adds up to a potential monster season for Worthy. That will start in training camp, as he and Mahomes put in the work to be on the same page downfield.
Others trending in the right direction: Guards Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia, tight end Noah Gray and Jake Briningstool, safety Jaden Hicks, running back Isiah Pacheco and linebacker Brandon George.
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