The Kansas City Chiefs are the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. They have won three titles in the last five years. They are aiming to become the first time in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls.
They are a legitimate modern-day dynasty, and it is going to be incredibly difficult for any team to dethrone them this coming season.
At the same time, it is going to be an exceedingly arduous task for the Chiefs to three-peat.
There is a reason why no team in history has ever won three consecutive Super Bowls. It’s kind of a hard feat to achieve (although the Green Bay Packers did three straight NFL championships in the 1960s before the Super Bowl became a thing).
But if anyone can do it, it’s Patrick Mahomes and Co.
Regardless, Kansas City is facing some major questions heading into 2024.
Here are three queries the Chiefs need to answer.
How will they replace Rashee Rice?
The NFL has not levied any sort of punishment against Rashee Rice just yet, but it’s coming, and chances are, Rice will be hit with a lengthy suspension.
If and when that does happen, what will Kansas City do?
The good news is that the Chiefs did address the wide receiver position this offseason, signing Marquise Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy. However, if Rice is out for an extended period of time, Kansas City is kind of back to square one.
Remember: wide receiver was a significant issue for the Chiefs last season. Rice was really the only reliable wide out on the team. I like how Kansas City attacked the problem the last several months, but Rice’s incoming ban obviously throws a wrench into things.
Brown does have a 1,000-yard campaign under his belt, but that was back in 2020. Perhaps he will be able to regain that form with Mahomes throwing him the football.
There is also hope that the speedy Worthy can develop into the Chiefs’ next version of Tyreek Hill, but there were many who felt the same way about Skyy Moore, and we saw how that turned out.
Here’s the silver lining: unless Rice’s legal troubles land him in prison (which we can’t rule out at this point), he will likely be available for the playoffs (and probably the latter half of the regular season). So, if Kansas City can just tread water at the position until he returns, the club should be alright.
Will Patrick Mahomes’ blindside be adequately protected?
The Chiefs have opted not to re-sign left tackle Donovan Smith, who made 12 starts for the team in 2023 but wasn’t quite the same player he was during his Tampa Bay Buccaneers days (hence the reason why he remains unsigned in free agency).
The problem is that Kansas City didn’t do anything to replace him.
Right now, Wanya Morris is at the top of the Chiefs’ depth chart at left tackle, but Kansas City does not seem entirely sold on the 2023 third-round pick.
There was a lot of buzz that the Chiefs could potentially sign David Bakhtiari, but that hasn’t happened.
Mahomes is a wizard, but even he is vulnerable to blindside hits.
Does Kansas City really feel comfortable going into the season with Morris manning the left side of the line? Will rookie second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia get a chance to start?
Or will the Chiefs possibly make a trade between now and Week 1?
Can the Chiefs avoid any sort of hangover?
Look: making history is obviously a huge motivational factor for the Chiefs. They absolutely want to become the first NFL team to win three Super Bowls in a row, and it is surely their mantra this summer.
But can Kansas City get through the regular season without any sort of hangover?
Let’s remember that it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for the Chiefs last year. They had a 3-5 stretch in the middle of the season, lowlighted by a lifeless Christmas loss to the Las Vegas Raiders—at home.
Sure, Kansas City kicked it into gear over the final couple of weeks in the regular season and went on to win the Super Bowl, but it’s not like the road was easy.
The Chiefs trailed going into the fourth quarter of their Divisional Round matchup with the Buffalo Bills. They didn’t score a point in the second half of their AFC Championship Game win over the Baltimore Ravens. They needed overtime to beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
There are a lot of other really good teams around the league, and the Chiefs may not get away with just barely getting by in 2024.
Perhaps the idea of winning three straight will light a fire under Kansas City and it will end up going 14-3. Or maybe the Chiefs will get bored again and struggle to win 10 games. Considering they play in the AFC West, that should still be enough to get them the division title.
The point is that Kansas City cannot keep relying on “flipping the switch.” If the Chiefs go through another lull like they did in 2023, it may end up costing them dearly. It’s up to head coach Andy Reid to ensure that does not happen.
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