4 teams that can win Super Bowl 59 in 2024 NFL free agency
Bad news for the NFL: the Kansas City Chiefs are going to be even better next year
What do you get the guy who has everything? For Patrick Mahomes, the answer begins and ends at receiver. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been cut, Kadarius Toney is doing God-knows-what, and Rashee Rice, despite being a rising NFL sophomore, is the only dependable pass catcher outside of Travis Kelce.
Mahomes and Andy Reid have to be in the market for another receiver, but the Chiefs' tight cap situation takes them out of the running for anyone who would break the bank. They might be able to swing someone like Odell Beckham Jr. or Curtis Samuel, though, both of whom would look good in red and yellow.
The Chiefs may have already won free agency by locking Chris Jones up to a massive extension (thank you Taylor Swift?). The All-Pro lineman, along with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, has been the unsung hero of Kansas City's Super Bowl wins, and this new deal ensures that he'll be on the team for at least the next three years.
Kansas City GM Brett Veach also franchised L'Jarius Sneed, but the trade winds appear to be blowing on the star cornerback. The Chiefs could use the money saved by trading Sneed to find a more cost-effective replacement to pair with star-in-the-making Trent McDuffie, such as Chidobie Awuzie of the Bengals, Shaq Griffin of the Panthers, or Jeff Okudah of the Falcons.
Veach will have to make difficult decisions with his other in-house free agents. Willie Gay Jr., Nick Allegretti, Jerick McKinnon, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are all talented players, but without more cuts or trades, it's doubtful that Kansas City can afford to keep more than one or two of them, and that's before even finding a replacement for left tackle Donovan Smith, who is almost certainly gone after an ineffective year.
If it seems like it will be tough for the Chiefs to be super active in free agency, that's because it's true. Retaining Jones, and possibly Sneed, already makes them big winners, though. If they can find one receiver to make Mahomes' life just a little bit easier, we could be looking at the first Super Bowl three-peat in NFL history.