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So, the Chiefs just lost to the Bengals after making 4 straight AFC Championship games. Joe Burrow is now only the second quarterback after Tom Brady to beat Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs.
On top of KC being eliminated from the playoffs, the team also didn’t have a very inspiring first half of the season. We can safely say that even though we saw them making the AFCCG, the season wasn’t a very good one for Andy Reid and his organization. Are they done? Is it all that bad? Do they have money to sign new players to that roster? The answer to all of that is: The Kansas City Chiefs will be fine in 2022.
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What are the strengths of that Kansas City Chiefs team going into the offseason?
The team has stability at the most important position – quarterback. In fact, the 10-year contract that the team signed with Patrick Mahomes is a pretty team-friendly deal. On paper it looks like Mahomes will be making $50 million per year but the reality is different. The average money that Mahomes will make is $45 million and given the fact that money gets devalued yearly, 5 years from now that type of wage will be within reason.
Additionally, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are locked in for next year together with a couple of young offensive linemen. Joe Thuney is making a boat load of money, but he seems to be well worth it.
That being said, on offense the team needs a good second wide receiver and possibly another running back. Clyde Edwards-Helaire looks like he’ll get injured often and until he’s on a rookie contract, he will have a spot on that roster.
Where can the Kansas City Chiefs improve?
The short answer is: On defense. Their most important move this offseason would be to get rid of Frank Clark. The defensive end has a juicy contract with virtually no value to the team. In 2022, Clark’s cap hit will be $26,300,000 which ranks third on the team.
His numbers decline each year since he signed his contract.
- In 2018 he had 13.0 sacks and was subsequently signed by Kansas for a lot of money.
- In 2019, his sacks number was 8.0
- Clark managed to get 6.0 sacks in 2020
- This last regular season, he had just 4.5 sacks.
Inside linebacker Anthony Hitchens also has a contract that’s bigger than his value to the team. With a cap hit of over $12 million, we easily see the Chiefs letting him go in exchange for a player with fresh legs.
The good news for the franchise is that they have a first-round pick in the 2022 draft. The best move for the team would likely be to draft a linebacker but any defensive player should be a breath of fresh air.
How much longer will Andy Reid coach?
Reid is 63 years old, and we expect him to coach for the better part of Patrick Mahomes’ contract if not for the whole duration. Barring any setbacks, we may see Reid stick around for some time.
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