Answering 4 Burning Chiefs Questions on Eve of Free Agency

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – What were the Chiefs thinking?

Rather than keep one of their best players not even in the prime of his career, the Chiefs traded away All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie on Wednesday. And the talking heads are in full panic mode.

mcduffie, boo — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) is shoved out of bounds by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) and safety Bryan Cook (6) during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“To me,” said former Super Bowl champion Jason McCourty on Thursday’s edition of Get Up, “this signals for the Chiefs, ‘Hey, we don't see ourselves as contenders right away.’”

Wait, what?

“To me, this is the Chiefs sort of hitting reset,” McCourty continued, “in a sense of, ‘Now, we have to build our next nucleus, the guys who are going to go on a run to become contenders,’ as Mahomes is getting healthy over the next maybe two to three seasons, as opposed to 2026.”

veac — Jul 22, 2025; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach walks down the hill to the fields during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Rest assured, the attitude in Kansas City is light years from what McCourty believes. If the Chiefs didn’t see themselves as contenders right away, they wouldn't have cleared nearly $100 million in cap room. That’ll allow them to become Day 1 shoppers when free agency kicks off Monday at 11 a.m. CT.

If the Chiefs didn’t feel like they were ready to contend in 2026, they wouldn’t have consummated the McDuffie trade. Consider that in 2022, they traded away All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill. With valuable capital Brett Veach acquired in that deal, he then traded up in the first round to draft McDuffie that year. Kansas City won the next two Super Bowls and played in the next three.

Organizations like that don’t offer internal excuses or explanations. The Chiefs see themselves as contenders as long as Patrick Lavon Mahomes II is their quarterback – and per insider Jay Glazer, that could include Week 1 of the 2026 season.

“His pain threshold is different,” Glazer said on Thursday’s edition of the Dan Patrick Show. “His work ethic is different. So, at first they were like, ‘Oh, you know, start of the season.’ I would probably hedge on him being sooner than that. By far. Because he just attacks things.”

dowdl — Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) runs the ball against Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed (90) during the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

How will Chiefs attack things on Monday?

A year ago, Veach immediately gave starter’s money to Jaylon Moore, a left tackle with 12 starts over his four-year NFL career as a backup to Trent Williams. Six weeks later, Kansas City drafted Josh Simmons in the first round. The Chiefs went from zero options at left tackle to two choices.

That’s where they want to be with regard to running back this year. They’re not gambling on Jeremiyah Love falling to them at 9 overall on April 23, but if that happens, they’ll have a veteran to complement him – just as they did with Moore and Simmons last spring. Expect the Chiefs to land a top-of-the-market running back, such as Travis Etienne, on Monday.

etienn — Jan 21, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs the ball against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) during the first half in the AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

And even if Kansas City doesn’t get Love, don’t rule out drafting a running back such as Jadarian Price or Mike Anderson on Night 2. Also, don’t rule out the Chiefs signing more than one free-agent running back before the draft. The market could dictate that opportunity.

Which position is most glaring need?

Kansas City will attack running back early in free agency, but that’s not its most important need. That need is wide receiver, without question. But that doesn’t mean wide receiver will be a No. 1 priority in free agency. While the Chiefs would be wise to avoid using the No. 9 pick on a wide receiver -- because Ja’Marr Chase is the only receiver drafted in the top-10 during Mahomes’ career to earn a single All-Pro selection – there are plenty of options in the draft.

Also, Mike Evans would be an outstanding addition to the Chiefs’ roster in free agency. Regardless, the Chiefs feel confident they can add dangerous weapons for Mahomes.

As Warren Sharp noted Thursday, the Chiefs have the NFL’s least amount of salary-cap space dedicated to the wide-receiver position. No. 1 on that list is Cincinnati, which not coincidentally has huge holes on its offensive line and defense. The Chiefs will be smart with regard to remaking their wide-receiver room.

bai — Miami (FL) Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) wraps up Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Which position will the Chiefs favor in draft at No. 9

Fairly or not, Rueben Bain will have his name taken off some teams’ draft boards due to his short arms. The Chiefs, however, can’t afford to be one of those teams. That’s because, as Veach noted at the combine, edge rusher is a premium position that doesn’t produce quality players in free agency. The smart money is on the Chiefs taking an edge rusher at No. 9.

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