3 Chiefs on the roster bubble playing for their jobs vs. Cardinals

KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 19: Offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif #76 of the Kansas City Chiefs gets set on the line before a play in the second half against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 22: Defensive end Alex Okafor #57 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up before the NFL game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 35-31. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2. DE Alex Okafor

Steve Spagnuolo’s new-look defense came on late in 2019 after a slow start. The Chiefs were 6-4 after 10 games and the club didn’t look much better than it had a year earlier when it came to failing to stop the opposition.

Veteran defensive end Alex Okafor was part of the changes in ’19 that eventually propelled Andy Reid’s club to a Super Bowl title, albeit he played in only 10 games that year and missed the postseason.

This past year, he missed five contests but was around for Kansas City’s playoff run. He finished ’20 with 16 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble. Okafor was re-signed this year but the Chiefs look like a deeper team on the defensive front these days.

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1. G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

The defending AFC champions had specific needs this offseason. And general manager Brett Veach was busy revamping an offensive line that was battered entering Super Bowl LV.

Tackles Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher – both who missed that game – were released. The club orchestrated a trade with the Ravens for tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and signed guard Joe Thuney away from the New England Patriots. The Chiefs drafted center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith in the second- and sixth-round respectively.

Quality guard G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opted out to aid the cause of COVID-19 this past season. Could the team part ways with him in one of two ways?

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