As the NFL season winds down in the final four weeks, many teams are starting to think about their offseason plans. The 6-7 Kansas City Chiefs, barring a miracle, can start thinking about what moves they should make in the offseason. Shedeur Sanders is coming off a breakout game and is certainly trending in a positive direction. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts have a difficult decision to make about Daniel Jones following his Achilles injury.
Let's dive into the latest updates on these stories.
The Chiefs are eyeing some big upgrades
In all likelihood, the Chiefs will miss their first playoff appearance in the Patrick Mahomes era. As a result, it's fair to expect that they will make some moves in the offseason to get back to Super Bowl contention. The Chiefs clearly need a more explosive element to their offense. Making a significant upgrade will be tricky given that Kansas City has negative-$42.8 million cap space.
However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that with roster cuts, there could be some wiggle room to make a signing. Fowler mocked Alec Pierce as an explosive deep threat. Pierce's 20.2 yards per reception leads the NFL. He would certainly help the Chiefs' need for another pass catcher, filling the role they have been searching for since losing Tyreek Hill.
Fowler also mentioned adding an explosive running back, such as Breece Hall or Travis Etienne Jr., could be in the cards. To me, running back is the more logical area to upgrade. Although both positions should be a priority, the Chiefs have more talent at receiver. Regardless, it's fair to expect some big changes in Kansas City this offseason.
Shedeur Sanders is trending up with QB1 secured (for now)
Shedeur Sanders has been one of the biggest storylines since taking over as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback. Frankly, he already was. After Sanders' first two and a half games under center, it was fair to be concerned with him. Notably, Sanders recorded 405 yards, completing 50 percent of his passes, throwing two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
However, he had a breakout performance on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, racking up 364 yards and four total touchdowns. This led to Sanders earning the starting QB job for the rest of the season. Per Jeremy Fowler, this was the plan before Sunday's game.
"Giving Shedeur Sanders the rest of the season as the Browns' starter was actually the plan before the 364-yard performance against Tennessee on Sunday, Fowler noted. They just didn't announce it until Monday. His performance only reinforces that stance. Originally, the Browns believed Sanders could avoid turnovers and make enough plays to keep the offense moving... But he has answered the bell in this area, taking just eight sacks in four games."
It's unclear if the Browns view Sanders as their QB of the future or are simply seeing what they have with him. Nevertheless, Sanders' performance on Sunday was certainly the most impressive of any Browns QB. The Browns' future QB plans will likely be determined by how the rest of the season plays out.
With a 3-10 record, the Browns are primed to have a top pick in the draft. Plus, they own the Jacksonville Jaguars' pick courtesy of the Travis Hunter trade. Undoubtedly, they need to upgrade their offense. Whether they opt to do that by drafting a QB or bolstering the talent around Sanders will be a tough choice.
Jones seems likely to stay with the Colts or head back to Minnesota
Daniel Jones was in the midst of a career season and revamped his career with the Colts. However, this magical season came to a tragic finish as he tore his Achilles last Sunday. With Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard both battling injuries, the Colts shocked the world by signing Phillip Rivers. This injury doesn't just end Jones' season (at least a good portion of next season), but it puts his future with the Colts up in the air.
ESPN's Dan Graziano noted that Jones re-signing with the Colts is possible since they know he can run their offense. Graziano said this would be a one or two-year deal, with the second year heavily based on incentives. He also listed the Minnesota Vikings as a landing spot for Jones, who spent the end of last season in the Twin Cities. With JJ McCarthy not panning out, thus far, the Vikings could be a path for Jones to earn a starting job at some point.
Graziano's reporting indicates that a long-term deal is unlikely. As unfortunate as this is for Jones, given how well he played this season, that's likely the smart move for the Colts. Teams are apprehensive about giving a QB coming off an Achilles injury a massive deal following the Kirk Cousins debacle. Notably, Cousins signed a four-year $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 and looked like a shell of himself.
Granted, Cousins was 36, and Jones is 28. Still, it's a reasonable concern, especially given that Jones tore his ACL back in 2023. In addition to Graziano's reporting, Fowler chimed in that he believes the Colts will monitor how Jones is progressing before making any decision. Of course, this makes a lot of sense. Ultimately, Jones' future will be something to monitor throughout the offseason.