Chiefs have another blockbuster trade up their sleeve, but there’s a hangup

The Kansas City Chiefs are the last undefeated team of the 2024 season, but they are from being championship shape. 

While head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have been able to mask many of the team’s flaws, the Chiefs will need to make vast improvements before the postseason if they hope to capture their third consecutive Super Bowl championship.

The Chiefs have made deep postseason runs every year since quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the starter in 2018, and the attrition of the additional games is beginning to add up. Over the past five years, Kansas City has played 16 postseason games — nearly an entire season more than many of their opponents.

The added workload and shorter offseasons can take a toll, and Kansas City’s roster has been depleted with injuries. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has attempted to inject fresh talent into the hobbled roster ahead of the trade deadline on Nov. 5, and he may not be done just yet.

Chiefs may be attempting to trade for Marshon Lattimore

The Chiefs were one of several teams that inquired about trading for New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday.

Lattinore’s recent injuries have complicated the possibility of a trade. He suffered a hamstring injury against the Denver Broncos in Week 7, and he was ruled out after aggravating the injury against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8. The 27-year-old has been unable to practice this week and he has already been ruled out for Week 9.

Salary cap ramifications could also complicate the trade. Trading Lattimore right now would free up just $3.9 million in salary cap space but leave the Saints with $31.2 million in dead money for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, per Spotrac. Lattimore would also require a restructured contract due to his untenable salary cap hit of $31.4 million in 2025.

If Kansas City can manage to work through the hurdles, Lattimore would immediately bolster their secondary. The four-time Pro Bowl cornerback is yet to surrender a touchdown and has only allowed a 69.1 quarterback rating when targeted, the second-lowest rating of his career. 

Kansas City’s depth behind top cornerback Trent McDuffie has been thinning out quickly. The team traded cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans during the offseason, and former fourth-round pick Jaylen Watson was placed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery for a broken tibia and fibula.

The Chiefs have already made a pair of low-risk, high-reward trades to acquire wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and linebacker Josh Uche before the deadline, but Lattimore could prove to be the piece that helps Kansas City punch their ticket to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.