Kansas City Chiefs: Dee Ford has come a long way since last year

The Kansas City Chiefs will have a decision to make on linebacker Dee Ford when this season comes to a close. Will they sign him to a long-term deal or let him explore free agency?

While Kansas City Chiefs fans are solely focused on the AFC Championship Game, and rightfully so, there’s a big storyline that will follow the team once free agency officially starts in the spring. That’s what the future of linebacker Dee Ford holds.

When the Chiefs made Ford their first round pick in 2014, it was a bit of a surprising pick to say the least. The team needed a wide receiver and that year’s wide receiver class was arguably one of the best ever. Yet… The Chiefs drafted Ford, whose most memorable play as a rookie was running away from then 49ers running back Frank Gore.

As the seasons passed, Ford continued to be a question mark defensively.

More from Kansas City Chiefs

• How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
• The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
• DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
• Fan-Favorite Locks Up Chiefs Roster Spot With Stellar Preseason Performance
• DraftKings NFL Kansas Promo: Bet $5 on Chiefs vs. Saints, Win $150 Bonus!

In his first two seasons, he managed just 5.5 sacks and only started five games. He was drafted to be the eventual replacement for Tamba Hali and the Chiefs ended up extending Hali for another three seasons (and what a disaster that was).

In his third year, Ford looked to finally be turning the corner. He had ten sacks that year, but nearly all of them came in the first half of the season. He basically vanished after that.

This time last year, Chiefs fans would have been okay with cutting Ford loose after he totaled just two sacks in the 2017 season through six games.

Well, it’s a good thing none of us run the team. Dee Ford has been awesome this season, posting a career high 13.5 sacks and really giving the Chiefs a dominant pass rush. That was missing a year ago and with Ford and Justin Houston both healthy, it makes this pass rush a feared one by opposing offenses.

Last April I did a post where I went through every single Chiefs first round pick since the new millennium. I recently went back and re-read that article and my opinions on Ford at the time were not kind. I threw the term “bust” around (and I know I wasn’t the only one), but with Ford’s 13.5 sack season, it’s entirely possible that the Chiefs give him a big contract this March.

While the 13.5 sacks is definitely eye popping, Chiefs fans know better than anyone what Ford is. When he’s healthy, he has the potential to be a great linebacker and pass rush threat. That’s been the issue with him since his time in Kansas City though. Can he stay healthy?

So, Chiefs Kingdom… Would you give Dee Ford a big time contract?