For only the second time under Patrick Mahomes’ quarterback stewardship, the Kansas City Chiefs failed to reach the Super Bowl as they were beaten in a gripping 27-24 OT game versus the Cincinnati Bengals. However, with the offseason moves made by them this year, it feels like we are seeing this great Chiefs team being ripped apart.
With Tyrann Mathieu, Daniel Sorenson, Anthony Hitchens, Charvarius Ward, Jerick McKinnon, Melvin Inghram, Byron Pringle, and Tyrek Hill all either cut, not resigned, or traded this offseason, this Kansas City Chiefs team looks entirely different coming into the 2022/23 season. First, the Tyrek Hill trade needs to be addressed.
The Kansas City offense lost a MASSIVE amount of its speed and fear when upper management decided to trade Tyrek off to the Miami Dolphins. Hill’s blistering speed not only created opportunities for him to catch 50-yard “Hail Mary” TDs from Patrick Mahomes, but also gave guys like Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman the space to run underneath without the fear of double-teams.
That’s gone now. And the two wide-receivers Kansas City has signed, Josh Gordon and Juju Smith-Schuster, are not anywhere near the same type of wideout Tyrek Hill was. Opposing defenses will no longer be scared of a Kansas City deep pass, even with Patrick Mahomes under center.
Am I saying that trading Tyrek Hill was the wrong choice? No, because his asking price was always going to exceed what the Chiefs could reasonably pay him, especially with Mahomes’ $500 million contract only adding more money onto their cap hit each year.
What I am saying is that the Chiefs did not win enough while Tyrek Hill was there and could very well pay for their missed opportunities.
Okay, now onto the defensive changes. These are much more manageable, but still cause a rather significant leadership problem to fix. Daniel Sorensen and Anthony Hitchens were always going to be released and replaced at some point. I’m just surprised they lasted this long. It is a similar situation for Melvin Inghram, who was brought in during the middle of the season.
He had a good run with the Chiefs, but he was always only going to be a one-season rental player with hopes a Super Bowl ring. Since the Chiefs didn’t win the Super Bowl, he was destined to move on and earn one more well-paying contract. The two players released that will hurt the Chiefs’ chances of going back to the Super Bowl the most is Charvarius Ward and Tyrann Mathieu.
Charvarius Ward was a solid cornerback, capable of covering opposing teams #1 and #2 receivers in the right scheme, as well as being a very good tackler. With him going to the 49ers, there is now a significant hole at the cornerback position. Tyran Mathieu’s departure is an even harder whole to fill.
The hard-hitting, fearless strong safety was the heart, soul, and leader of that defense. For so many years, that Kansas City defense looked for Mathieu’s instruction and leadership to will them to victory. With him now gone, there is now a massive gap where his leadership and experience once presided.
Not to mention, he was one of the best safeties in the league last year, so the Chiefs are losing both his leadership and immense talent.
Kansas City will be contending for the Super Bowl once again next season, though they will find the AFC a much different landscape than a year ago. Not only have their conference rivals gotten better, but also those within their own division.
If Kansas City can keep their AFC West title next season and finish within the Top-2 spots in the AFC, then that should be seen as a huge success give the newfound strength of the AFC.
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