Steve Spagnuolo’s comment on CB battle should have Chiefs fans worried

The 2023 season culminated with the Kansas City Chiefs hoisting their third Lombardi Trophy in the past five years, but the last championship was not like the previous two. Kansas City won Super Bowl LIV and LVII with a high-octane offense, schemed by head coach Andy Reid and led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The road to Super Bowl LVIII, however, was paved by Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

During the 2023 season, the Chiefs offense scored just 21.8 points per game — the franchise's lowest scoring output since Reid became the head coach in 2013. On the other hand, the Chiefs defense allowed just 17.3 points per game during the regular season, second-fewest in the NFL.

Kansas City's dominance on defense can largely be attributed to the contributions of defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. The Chiefs managed to retain the services of Jones with a five-year, $158.7 million contract extension, but general manager Brett Veach was forced to reluctantly trade Sneed to the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 third-round pick.

Steve Spagnuolo's comments suggest concern for Chiefs secondary

With training camp underway at Western Missouri State University, Spagnuolo is searching for his next starters in the secondary. So far, it doesn't seem any of Kansas City's cornerbacks have separated themselves.

"You know, you can have the best pass rush in the world, but these receivers get open quickly if you’re not able to cover them," Spagnuolo said at training camp last week, according to The Athletic. "We’ve got some developing to do. We certainly miss [Sneed], but somebody’s got to step up there and take that. I’m waiting for somebody to assert themselves and say, ‘I’m that guy that can do it.’"

Spagnuolo's comments suggest there may be some reason for concern. The Chiefs were likely hoping the decorated defensive coordinator would have identified a cornerback to step into a starting role by this stage of the offseason.

All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie will slide into Sneed's role. The third-year cornerback was a first-team All-Pro with the versatility to play from various positions in Spagnuolo’s defense. In 2023, he recorded five forced fumbles, seven pass breakups, three sacks and nine quarterback hits.

The battle for the second perimeter cornerback will be intriguing to watch. Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams were expected to be the top contenders to fill the spot, but Watson is recovering from a shoulder injury. Nazeeh Johnson and Kelvin Joseph emerged as competitors for the spot but both suffered hamstring injuries during practice.

Watson was in the starting lineup as the second perimeter cornerback during training camp practice on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Nate Taylor. Williams came in for the Chiefs' nickel personnel, which saw McDuffie move to the slot. Playing Williams on the perimeter makes sense since the 6-foot-3 cornerback has the length to break up passes downfield.

The answer may not be clear yet, but Kansas City will have to figure out who they can trust in their secondary before their season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.