3 Critical Issues Chiefs Must Fix During the Offseason

During the regular season, something just did not seem quite right with the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, they went 15-2, which was actually their best record in franchise history, but it was pretty obvious that the Chiefs were vulnerable.

Now, coming off of its first Super Bowl loss since February 2021, Kansas City must go back to the drawing board (kind of) to patch up some of the holes that plagued it throughout 2024.

Here are three key needs the Chiefs must repair in the coming months.

Offensive line

The Chiefs' offensive line had been an issue throughout the entire season. Left tackle was a revolving door, and we saw breakdowns throughout the entire unit at different points during the year. Heck, we even saw it against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Of course, the issue here is that Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith is slated to hit free agency, so Kansas City will have to retain him while also trying to repair other parts of the trenches.

The Chiefs may want to consider taking a long, hard look at Los Angeles Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson, a 6-foot-7 giant who is hitting the open market.

That being said, money could be an issue here, as Kansas City does not have the best financial situation going into the offseason.

Wide receiver

The Chiefs seemed to solve their wide receiver issue last offseason when they signed Marquise Brown in free agency, but things still went haywire.

Brown suffered a preseason shoulder injury that knocked him out for most of the year, and Rashee Rice tore his ACL back in Week 4. Plus, Rice has some legal issues hanging over his head.

With Brown hitting the free-agent market and Rice's status for 2025 up in the air, Kansas City really needs to bring in some more weapons. The Chiefs can't just keep getting by with past-their-prime veterans like JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeAndre Hopkins.

Perhaps a pursuit of Tee Higgins is in play? If not, there are other compelling options for Kansas City in free agency, such as Cleveland Browns speedster Elijah Moore.

Cornerback

In 2023, the Chiefs boasted the fourth-best pass defense in football. They then sent L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans in a sign-and-trade, and this year, their pass defense fell to 18th.

Was it solely because of Sneed? No, but not having a pair of lockdown cornerbacks in Sneed and Trent McDuffie definitely hurt. Plus, McDuffie didn't exactly look great against the Philadelphia Eagles.

There will be a number of impressive corners available next month. Kansas City may not be able to afford a reunion with Charvarius Ward, but it may want to pilfer one of the Los Angeles Chargers three free-agent corners in Kristian Fulton, Asante Samuel Jr. or Elijah Molden.

Put it this way: there are definitely upgrades to be had over Jaylen Watson.

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