Buckle Up, Chiefs Kingdom: It’s Going to Be a Long Offseason
The Kansas City Chiefs lost this year's AFC Championship Game in excruciating fashion. Just days after the game, it was already evident that this would be a long offseason.
It started with hot takes from national media. There were several people who crowned Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow the best quarterback in the AFC. Due to his team beating the Chiefs twice in the final month of the season and making the Super Bowl, this is how these things start. ESPN had a show that did a top-5 quarterbacks in the NFL segment and left Mahomes off the list entirely. Is Burrow better than Mahomes? Taking a step back, drawing that conclusion isn't very logical.
It seems as if people are getting bored of talking about how good Mahomes is and want to discuss someone else. Hot takes will get clicks and many people are just looking for a reaction. Those are the only reasons this writer can think of as to why people would disrespect Mahomes in this manner.
Jan 30, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts after their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Then, of course, there is also a rumor mill happening within the Chiefs' own fan base and also the media. There have been discussions about whether Chiefs free agent offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy will be back with the team in 2022. It started with a tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and things deteriorated from there.
There have also been questions about whether the Chiefs should bring back Matt Nagy as their offensive coordinator. Charlie Weiss's name, surprisingly, has also been brought up. Things really took a turn for the worse when an unnamed author and unsourced blog post said Mahomes and Bieniemy were rifting all season and that came to a head at halftime of the AFC Championship Game.
The season just ended, folks. The offseason has just begun and everyone is knee-deep in terrible takes. The natural thing to do would be to shut down and ignore things for a while, but that’s not the business of football.
There are things the Chiefs will need to address this offseason. Will they extend Swiss Army knife, team captain, Pro Bowler and team MVP Tyrann Mathieu? Have we seen the last of defensive end Frank Clark and linebacker Anthony Hitchens? Who will replace the Chiefs' coaches who have taken jobs elsewhere around the league? All of these are legit question marks that deserve to be discussed. There are plenty of others, too.
How will the Chiefs address the second wide receiver position? How will they bolster the defensive line? Who can the team bring in to be their third linebacker? Will Kansas City take a look at these positions in free agency, the draft, or potentially both? These are all great conversations to be had.
The hot takes about Mahomes not being a top-5 quarterback in the league are unnecessary. Let's ignore the faux drama people want to bring up anytime Mahomes goes out in public with his family. Discussing Bieniemy doesn't make sense until there's a more concrete feel for what is actually happening.
It’s going to be a long offseason, but looking at the bright side of things, at least the league isn’t facing a lockout. The NFL Combine is coming up in just a couple of weeks and it will be NFL Draft season before we all know it. Take the positives with the negatives: it will make life and the offseason more pleasant.
Aug 20, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) hugs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy during the second half of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
