Chris Jones' absence from training camp and two other flaws could prevent the Kansas City Chiefs from repeating as Super Bowl champions this season.
The Kansas City Chiefs overcame a lot to win their third Super Bowl title in franchise history. Some examples include trading away a top-tier wide receiver in Tyreek Hill, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes playing through a high ankle sprain suffered in the AFC Divisional Round. To cap their season off, the Chiefs overcame a 24-14 halftime deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl 57.
Last season was proof that as long as Mahomes was healthy and tight end Travis Kelce was still playing at a high level, the Chiefs will have a legitimate shot at hoisting a Lombardi Trophy. But this offseason, the Chiefs have seen quite a lot take place. One of the big things is star defensive tackle Chris Jones is holding out of training camp, seeking a new contract. But, other flaws on the roster could prevent them from repeating as Super Bowl champions.
Here are three flaws that could be a detriment to the Chiefs entering this season.
Chris Jones and 2 other fatal flaws that could keep Chiefs from Super Bowl repeat, No. 3: Chris Jones' absence
While yes, Mahomes and Kelce are two of the most important players on the Chiefs roster, the same can be said of Jones on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.
Jones has proven to be one of the best at his position, as evidenced by his 2022 campaign, in which he recorded 44 combined tackles (30 solo, 14 assisted), 29 quarterback hits, 15.5 sacks, four passes defended, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Jones finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind winner Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers and Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys.
This offseason, a lot of young defensive tackles received lucrative contract extensions with the total money being a minimum of $90 million. Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans, Daron Payne of the Washington Commanders, Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants, and Quinnen Williams of the Jets all received long-term contracts. With that, Jones has now plummeted down the positional rankings, specifically in average annual salary. Jones is set to be a free agent at the end of the year, and he's looking to cash in on another new deal.
Thus far, Jones and the Chiefs have been unable to reach an agreement. Due to this, Jones is holding out of training camp.
The Chiefs got a taste of what it would be like without Jones on defense during their preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints. The NFC South's team, led by new quarterback Derek Carr, marched through the Chiefs starting defense, culminating in a four-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keith Kirkwood. 80 yards on 12 plays.
It's unknown what's next if Jones and the Chiefs are unable to reach an agreement on a deal. Will he play this upcoming season, or will he sit out games? One thing is for certain, if the Chiefs are without Jones, a trip back to the Super Bowl becomes much more difficult.
Chris Jones and 2 other fatal flaws that could keep Chiefs from Super Bowl repeat, No. 2: Wide receiver corps
The Kansas City Chiefs said, "No Tyreek Hill, no problem" following trading the star wide receiver to the Miami Dolphins after contract talks fell through. At first glance, you would think the Chiefs would be in trouble. Instead, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was more than fine throwing to the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Justin Watson, in addition to star tight end Travis Kelce. Mahomes led the league with 5,250 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, and 308.8 yards gained per game played ratio. As a result, Mahomes cruised to an NFL MVP award, the second of his career.
But this offseason, the wide receiver corps did take more of a hit, as Smith-Schuster walked and signed a three-year deal with the New England Patriots. Much to the chagrin of some Chiefs fans, the team was unable to bring in a big name to add to their wide receiver corps. Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Baltimore Ravens, while DeAndre Hopkins never met with the Chiefs, instead signing a two-year deal with the Tennessee Titans.
So, the Chiefs are going to roll with a wide receiving corps headlined by Valdes-Scantling, Watson, second-year wide receiver Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, and Richie James.
Moore didn't have many snaps on offense last year and scored his first touchdown in Super Bowl 57. James, meanwhile, put up pretty good numbers with the New York Giants in 2022 (57 receptions for 569 yards and four touchdowns). Toney was acquired by the Chiefs last season but has a long list of injuries during his short career, including a knee injury that required surgery at the start of training camp.
Sure, Mahomes can make anything work in the passing game. But when looking across the AFC there are much more stacked wide receiving corps, with the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins standing out. What are the Chiefs to do if one of their top receivers were to go down with an injury? That could be a major flaw for Kansas City this season.
Chris Jones and 2 other fatal flaws that could keep Chiefs from Super Bowl repeat, No. 1: Overhauled offensive line
Perhaps the most intriguing storyline entering the 2023 season for the Kansas City Chiefs is their new-look offensive line.
It's difficult for any team to replace some of their top players along the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs have done it in the past by replacing Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz after the 2020 season. The team traded for Orlando Brown to plug in at left tackle while moving Andrew Wylie from guard to right tackle. These moves paid off for the Chiefs in those two seasons, but now, both are gone.
Brown signed a four-year, $64 million deal with the Chiefs' newest rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Wylie, meanwhile, signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Washington Commanders. Once again, the Chiefs had to replace both of their starting tackles. And they did so by bringing in some big names.
Filling in at right tackle is Jawaan Taylor, who spent the start of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Eventually, the team brought in former Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith. The thing is, while they both have the name, can they play up to par?
Last year, Smith was one of the most penalized tackles in the league, getting flagged 12 times, seven of which were for holding, and four of which were for false start. Those numbers are alarming.
As for Taylor, he did pretty well this past season for the Jaguars. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed a pressure rate of 2.9 percent on pass-blocking snaps, which ranks fifth-lowest among 70 eligible tackles (minimum 250 pass-blocking snaps). But the question will be if he can make the transition to Kansas City's offense.
Besides two new starting offensive tackles, the interior of the offensive line remains the same with Trey Smith, Joe Thuney, and Creed Humphrey. But, if Smith and Taylor struggle, that could spell disaster for the Chiefs. The team is certainly looking to avoid what happened in Super Bowl 55 against the Buccaneers, where Mahomes was pressured the entirety of the game and couldn't get much done.
