Will there be another team atop the AFC West this year?
The Kansas City Chiefs will always be part of any discussion in the NFL when it comes to dominance so long as they still have head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The duo has led the Chiefs to its best-ever run in franchise history and their dominance over not just their division, but the entire conference and the league as a whole has been exciting to watch.
It’s not like the Chiefs have won the same way every year, but it is their ability to adapt and problem-solve that has helped them achieve this success year in and year out. The earlier Chiefs’ teams when Mahomes took over as the starter were based on high-flying over-the-top offense with speedy receivers such as Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Mecole Hardman with the consistent presence of tight end Travis Kelce.
After the Tyreek Hill trade, the Chiefs were thought to be done and many experts wrote them off. But, despite the odds, Kansas City has added two more Super Bowls since then and they have won in a different fashion every time. Yet, the question before the start of every season is the same – Is this the year the Chiefs lose their dominance over the AFC West?
During a discussion on ‘The Herd’, host of the show Colin Cowherd and regularly recurring member from ‘First Things First’, Nick Wright had interesting takes on whether or one of the other AFC West teams will eclipse the Chiefs in the upcoming season.
Cowherd’s argument would make sense to a non-Kansas City fan simply because the Chiefs have not been at the top of their game for the past couple of seasons despite their success. Adding to that narrative is the fact that they just traded away quite possibly their best O-lineman and All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the Bears.
“Really worry about Kansas City. Joe Thuney is one of the more valuable offensive linemen in the league…left, and they didn’t want him to leave. They couldn’t afford him. They don’t have a left tackle. They paid a lot for Jaylen Moore who’s never been a starter…and there’s pass rushers all over that division. By the way, they’re not going to go 11-0 in one-score games. Raiders are better, Broncos will be better, the Chargers will be better. Listen, it never lasts forever.”
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What Cowherd is saying has been a common argument across the NFL media every year as the Chiefs have struggled but still found ways to win games, make the playoffs, and go to the Super Bowl again and again. Doubting the Chiefs has not been the strongest opinion over the past few seasons and Nick Wright was quick to point out the same.
“This is an annual tradition where you pick a new team to win the AFC West, and then midway through the year you’re like “Yeah I probably shouldn’t have done that”. Also, you said the Chiefs didn’t want to lose Joe Thuney. Well, was there a gun to Brett Veach’s head when he called the Bears and traded him? They didn’t lose Joe Thuney, they traded Joe Thuney.”
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Looking at the way the offseason has gone so far, one could argue that the Raiders, Broncos, and Chargers are getting better, while the Chiefs may have taken a step back with Thuney’s trade.
However, key players leave teams every year due to contract talks breaking down, salary cap limitations, and other factors. Kansas City has shown its ability to overcome such issues and has found ways to succeed. So, while this debate continues throughout the offseason, the picture will be clear only when the players take the field in September.
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