Here’s what the Kansas City Chiefs must do this offseason to bounce back

Renegotiate Justin Houston’s Contract

The Patriots beat the Chiefs thanks to one thing, and one thing only. Their offensive line dominated the game. Yes, Tom Brady played well and they won the coin toss in overtime, but the dominance of the Patriots against an above-average defensive line was palpable. According to ESPN’s Brian Burke, the Patriots O-line posted a ridiculous 91% pass block win rate. If you’re not familiar with this stat, it’s a ridiculous number. Brady had literally all day on almost every single play. No team can beat him with that kind of time, even if he’s not “prime Tom Brady.”

The Chiefs need to upgrade this position, but that will be hard paying Justin Houston $21 million. There’s an out in his contract this season, which would save the Chiefs $14 million dollars against the salary cap. He has to be aware of that fact.

He’s still a valued member of this pass rush. He had nine sacks in an injury-riddle season. If he was healthy, he’d probably get closer to 12-13. That’s fine, but nowhere near good enough for a player at the top of the pay scale.

If the Chiefs can convince him to take about half what he’s making, he’ll make more than he would on the open market while also staying with the only team he’s ever known. He can spend the offseason getting healthy while not worrying about when the Chiefs would think about moving on.

This seems like the most obvious move of the offseason. Houston seemed like the only player to get close to Brady all night. The free agency pool probably doesn’t have a suitable replacement the Chiefs can afford. It’s easy to say cut him loose and save the money, but that doesn’t help a floundering defense get better.