5 burning questions the Chiefs must answer in 2019

2. How will the Chiefs deal with Tyreek Hill’s absence?

Aside from Mahomes, the Chiefs’ most important offensive player is wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Hill’s video game speed can wreck the game for opposing defenses, as evidenced by his 17.9 yards per catch in 2018.

New England made it a point to take Hill out of the game in the AFC Championship game, and neutralizing him slowed the Chiefs down considerably. That could be a problem going forward since Hill is staring at some kind of suspension from the league for his role in an incident that ended up with Hill’s son having a broken arm.

Taking Hill’s explosive speed out of the offense will force Kansas City to rely more on other players to get open down the field. Tight end Travis Kelce is elite, but the rest of the Chiefs’ receivers will need to be more productive to help Mahomes out.

The Chiefs drafted wide out Mecole Hardman to help fill that void, and his elite speed could make him a similar weapon to Hill in time. Expecting a rookie to step right in and be a Day 1 contributor is tough, so it may be unfair to ask Hardman to just assume Hill’s responsibilities in the offense right away.

The guy who the Chiefs need more out of is Sammy Watkins, who has been an underwhelming player for most of his NFL career. Watkins has the talent to be a dynamic weapon, but he needs to get more out of it if the Chiefs want to go anywhere while Hill is sidelined.