Andy Reid’s team fell one game short of a third straight Super Bowl appearance. Are there big changes ahead for the Kansas City Chiefs?
After a 3-4 start, the Kansas City Chiefs rebounded to win eight straight and nine of their final 10 regular-season contests. It added up to a 12-5 record, a sixth straight AFC West title and a seventh consecutive trip to the postseason.
Andy Reid’s team put 42 points on the board in the wild card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and seven days later vs. the Buffalo Bills (in overtime) in the divisional round. And they owned a 21-3 halftime lead over the visiting Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.
And then it all went wrong. Patrick Mahomes and company were limited to three points in what proved to be their final two-plus quarters of 2021. The 27-24 overtime loss denied the Chiefs a third straight Super Bowl appearance.
But the start of the 2022 NFL fiscal year (March 16) is less than a month away. So here are three performers who could be let go by the team over the next few weeks.
3. LB Anthony Hitchens
He was the 53rd-ranked linebacker in 2021 according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Including playoffs, Kansas City’s Anthony Hitchens played and started in a total of 18 games this past season. That includes all three playoff contests.
During the regular season, he finished second on the team with 80 tackles (41 solo, 39 assists), to go along with one interception and two passes defensed. He totaled 17 stops (8 solo) and knocked down one pass in three postseason affairs.
There was a lot that went wrong for the Chiefs’ defense in 2021. And Hitchens could wind up on the outs if there’s a big-time overhaul.
2. RB Derrick Gore
With the final pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the then-defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs opted for LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He missed three regular-season games his rookie season and a playoff clash with the Browns. This past year, he played in only 10 regular-season contests and was not around for the wild card clash with the Steelers.
So with Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s availability somewhat of a question mark, why would the team part ways with talented Derrick Gore? He joined the Chiefs roughly a year ago after stints on the Chargers and Washington practice squads. He finished fourth on the team with 256 yards rushing and two scores on 51 carries. He also finished with eight catches for 105 yards during the regular season.
But in the playoffs, he had three carries for three yards vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, didn’t touch the ball vs. the Bengals and was inactive for the AFC title game. In fact, Andy Reid’s busiest running back during the postseason was veteran Jerick McKinnon. He logged a combined 48 touches for 315 yards from scrimmage and scored one touchdown in the three games.
Both McKinnon and Williams, the latter Kansas City’s leading rusher in 2021, are slated for free agency. Expect both to return, which could mean that Gore is the odd-man-out.
1. DE Frank Clark
Given his contract and the various salary-cap ramifications, this would be a shock. And it could be something that happens later this year and not necessarily in the coming weeks.
Just before the start of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs orchestrated a huge trade with the Seahawks to acquire edge-rusher Frank Clark. He had been given the franchise tag by Seattle but the player and team were not on the same page. After joining the Chiefs, Clark would sign a five-year, $104 million extension with the club.
In four seasons in the Pacific Northwest, the 2015 second-round pick from the University of Michigan played in 62 regular-season contests and logged 35.0 quarterback traps. There were 10.0 sacks in his second season and a career-best 13.0 sacks in 2018. He also totaled eight forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and an interception over that four-year span. He also amassed three sacks in five postseason games with the ‘Hawks.
Save for the 2019 and 2020 postseasons, Clark has not produced the same kind of numbers in three years with the Chiefs. In 43 regular-season contests, there have been 18.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one pick. In six playoff games with the team prior to 2021, he combined for an impressive eight quarterback traps.
But the three-time Pro Bowler, all with the Chiefs, did not register a sacks in the 2021 postseason.
Of course, there were some off-the-field issues a year ago. Just as the case in regards to linebacker Anthony Hitchens, could coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense be in for an overhaul this season?