The Kansas City Chiefs were stopped short of NFL immortality. The club’s dreams of being the first-ever three-peat Super Bowl champion were dashed on Sunday, with the Philadelphia Eagles blowing their doors off in Super Bowl LIX, 40-22. That loss unearthed some key issues on the roster that’ll need to be addressed throughout the offseason if they want to continue knocking on the door for championships.
As they pick up the pieces from this Super Bowl loss and begin their preparations for the offseason, let’s dive into some crucial areas on the depth chart and provide some options for the front office to explore.
Offensive tackle
The offensive line proved to be Kansas City’s fatal flaw in the Super Bowl, and the offensive tackle positions have particularly been a thorn in their side. With Kingsley Suamataia, Wayna Morris, nor D.J. Humphries able to hold up at left tackle, K.C. needed to kick left guard Joe Thuney out to blindside tackle, which further stressed the O-line as a whole.
This spring, the Chiefs will need to address the position with the same ferocity they did after losing Super Bowl LV in a similar fashion when they went out and inked Orlando Brown Jr. to a contract.
The key issue for the Chiefs is they don’t currently have the financial wiggle room to simply throw money at the deficiency. At the moment, K.C. has just $11.5 million in available cap space. With that in mind, the Chiefs could be out of the running for the likes of Morgan Moses and Alaric Jackson in the free agency and possibly Ronnie Stanley as well. If they find a way to clear more space, Stanley would be a fascinating name to try and pry out of Baltimore after putting together a Pro Bowl season in 2024.
If they are looking for realistic options at left tackle, former Browns first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. is a dice roll. Because of his injury concerns (he hasn’t played a full season since 2022), the Chiefs could likely ink him to a team-friendly contract. Veteran Tyron Smith is another cost-effective option, albeit with age and injury concerns.
While drafting offensive tackles has been a blind spot for the organization in recent years, that’s also an avenue to explore with the No. 31 overall pick. In his post-Super Bowl mock draft, Mike Renner has Kansas City selecting Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons.
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Tight end
If Travis Kelce retires, there’s an even bigger emphasis on adding to this position group. It’s unlikely that they’ll find a tight end to be the focal point of the passing attack like Kelce has been throughout his career, but there are some solid pass-catching tight ends set to hit free agency this spring.
One that would be fascinating to see injected into the K.C. offense and paired with Patrick Mahomes is Saints tight end Juwan Johnson. Over the past few seasons, the former undrafted free agent out of Oregon has flashed freak athletic ability despite inconsistent quarterback play. Putting that talent in the hands of Andy Reid and with Mahomes throwing him the football, Johnson could catapult his production.
Another tight end that could be worth monitoring for Kansas City is Austin Hooper, who has bounced around the league in recent seasons but has been a serviceable pass catcher. He’s also likely come as a cheaper option amid their cap constraints.
Wide receiver
The wide receiver room is a position group that could go through an overhaul this offseason. While K.C. has Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice intact as young building blocks, fellow receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Mecole Hardman, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster are all slated to enter free agency. When you also factor in the potential of losing Travis Kelce to retirement, the Chiefs not only need pass catchers, but ones who have shown an ability to be a No. 1 option or at least close to it.
Sure, Worthy has the potential to develop into the No. 1 option for Mahomes, but it’s still to be determined. Meanwhile, Rice has flashed brilliance as a rookie but went down with a knee injury this season and has dealt with off-the-field issues, bringing up questions about his reliability over the long term.
With all that in mind, it’s worth wondering if the Chiefs will revisit a possible trade for Cooper Kupp this offseason. Kansas City reportedly had discussions with the Rams for Kupp leading up to the deadline, but no deal came to fruition. The main speed bump here is Kupp’s $29.7 million cap charge in 2025. That’ll need to be readjusted upon arrival, but the Rams are reportedly willing to eat some of the money on his contract, which could make it more palatable for Kansas City. If they can make the money aspect work, Kupp would be a fascinating addition.
In-house free agents
While it’s easy to look outside of the organization to try and fix their shortcomings from this season, the Chiefs also face difficult decisions when it comes to retaining some key free agents. In particular, linebacker Nick Bolton and right guard Trey Smith are two core players who are set to hit the open market, but should be a priority for Kansas City to try and keep.
Given their issues along the offensive line already, Smith may be the most important to secure as he’s established himself as one of the top guards in the NFL. So, he could be a candidate for the franchise tag to keep him secure for at least one more season. Meanwhile, Bolton has been a clutch starter for them on defense since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2021 and has been a fixture of two Super Bowl championship runs. Neither likely comes particularly cheap, but keeping Smith and Bolton should be an emphasis so they don’t have even more holes to fill in free agency and/or the draft.
