The Kansas City Chiefs were the kings of the AFC West last season, going a perfect 6-0 within the division. While the Oakland Raiders got most of the publicity, it was the Chiefs were proved their dominance each week, beating the Raiders both times they played. They come into the 2017 season with a solid roster on both sides of the ball, and could be the team to beat in the AFC when all is said and done.
An offseason can be tough, even for good teams, and the Chiefs were no exception in 2017. They fired general manager John Dorsey after the NFL Draft, which is a pretty rare thing to take place. The team also said goodbye to key players like wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and nose tackle Dontari Poe, but replaced Poe nicely with Bennie Logan. Tyreek Hill stepped up as the top dog at wide receiver last season anyway, making Maclin expendable this offseason.
The big question mark for this roster is the quarterback, as many believe that Alex Smith cannot win the big games. While Smith is likely to start this season, the team did trade up to draft Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes in the first round this past April, giving them a big arm for the future. Mahomes would be wise to sit for one season, though Chiefs fans will be clamoring for him if Smith struggles.
The AFC West is going to be tough this season, but the Chiefs have proven they can beat anybody in the division. Guys like Derrick Johnson and Justin Houston are back on the defense, and Tamba Hali appears to be fired up for the season to start. Head coach Andy Reid is one of the best in the business, so you can expect the Chiefs to be playing a few weeks into January this season.