Kansas City Chiefs: The Five Most Surprising Players Of 2016

The Kansas City Chiefs 2016 season was full of ups and downs. These five players turned out to be the best surprises of the year.

Truth be told, the Kansas City Chiefs had no business having the kind of year they did. Crippled by injuries, led by a “non elite” quarterback, no offensive identity, and rarely scoring above 25 points in just half their games. Any other team that described would have been lucky to get to just .500 on the year. Yet the Cheifs finished 12-4, won the AFC West, and had the #2 seed in the AFC. So what happened?

Well, what happened was a roster that was so well-situated in its depth chart that they were able to overcome all of that. The Chiefs proved themselves to be one of the best teams in the NFL, regardless of their disappointing loss to end the year. The credit for that largely belongs to the coaches and personnel department that put this team together. However, more than that, it belongs to some key players who stepped up.

“Next man up” wasn’t just a rally cry for the Chiefs in 2016, it was a way of life. It didn’t matter who you were, if the team needed you, it was time to step up. That’s exactly what many players did for KC. There was no shortage of guys who could have been overwhelmed by their new roles, but instead rose to the occasion. Enough so that we should really give them the credit they are due…

Honorable Mention: Albert Wilson

I won’t lie, Albert Wilson really only makes this list because he not only beat out Rod Streater for a job, but thoroughly outplayed the veteran all year. During the offseason, there was a lot of discussion over whether the Chiefs should keep the young receiver. Many of you might remember that I was firmly in the camp of keeping him. Well, that paid off as Wilson scored several key touchdowns on the season.