What happened in the final month of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs seems much less interesting than what will happen over the next few months, when a traditionally dominant team in desperate need of a fresh start begins its rebuild.
Will star tight end Travis Kelce retire after a stellar 13-year career, or will he return for one more season to erase the bitterness of a 6-11 campaign? How will the Chiefs manage the free agent market, with glaring needs at several positions and very limited room to maneuver under the salary cap? And what will they do with their first pick, in the top 10 of the draft, after Patrick Mahomes was selected 10th overall in the 2017 NFL draft?
“I’m optimistic for the future here,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. (General manager) Brett (Veach) takes charge from here on out with the draft, and I’m sure he and his guys will do a great job in the draft and after the free agent market opens. »
There is a lot of work to be done.
Not only did the Chiefs see their streak of 10 consecutive playoff appearances come to an end, but they also saw their nine-year dominance in the AFC West be curtailed by the Denver Broncos. Plus, their streak of seven appearances in the American championship game is over, and given the way their season has gone, it’s hard to believe that the Chiefs have appeared in the last three Super Bowls, winning two of them.
But very little has worked for the Chiefs this season, starting with their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil and their six-game losing streak that gave them their worst record since 2-14 the year before Reid arrived in Kansas City.
By mid-December, the Chiefs were already eliminated from the NFL playoffs.
Injuries may have been the biggest problem: Mahomes tore two knee ligaments, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew also tore a knee ligament, and star players such as Rashee Rice and Trent McDuffie joined them on the injured list.
But there were also glaring deficiencies on both sides of the ball.
“We have a good core of veterans. They will come back, and I think that’s what we need, that’s where we need to start, said Reid. Then you give Brett (Veach) the opportunity to use his draft picks and select the players he wants; you know he will do a good job. And then, whatever happens with the free agents or the players that we have signed, wherever that leads, there will still be a lot of work to be done to recruit players and do the right thing. So there will be a new beginning. »
Kelce’s decision
The first big decision in Kansas City may not be about the team, but about Kelce, who is considering retirement.
He said the decision to return last season was relatively easy to make after the Chiefs’ crushing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. But, with his many interests outside of football and his engagement to American pop singer Taylor Swift, his life has changed over the past 12 months.
“I love this team, this organization and the people that make it up so much,” said Kelce, who finished the season with 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns. I’m going to spend time with them, attend end-of-season meetings, get closer to my family and think about what’s next. »
Health check
Mahomes is already well into his rehabilitation, having undergone surgery to repair his knee injury, and the Chiefs are cautious, but optimistic, that he will be available for the first week of activities next season. All other players’ names who were placed on the injured list should also be ready for next season.
Free agents
Among the veterans expected to become free agents are running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, wide ends Marquise Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, cornerbacks Josh Williams and Jaylen Watson, safeties Bryan Cook and Mike Edwards, linebacker Leo Chenal and defensive linemen Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel and Charles Omenihu. Several of them could return with advantageous contracts for the team.
Draft situation
The Chiefs will pick ninth overall in April, their highest pick since selecting tackle Eric Fisher first overall in 2013. They have plenty of needs on both sides of the ball, but they should target playmakers on offense, likely a running back, and someone capable of putting pressure on the opposing quarterback, after finishing among the worst teams in the league in sacks this season.
Next steps
The Chiefs haven’t held their record this early in a season in a decade, so, at least, in terms of preparing for next season, the next few weeks will be an unprecedented luxury. They will spend them preparing for the NFL prospect evaluation camp at the end of February and the opening of the free agent market.
