Bleacher Report ranked every NFL quarterback’s supporting cast and had Patrick Mahomes and the KC Chiefs’ playmakers ranked 12th on the list. Is this too high, too low, or just right?
Kansas City Chiefs fans have faith that the offense will be just as explosive as they were last year, but there have been some changes, even with reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes returning under center for the 2019 season.
The biggest change on offense is obviously at running back. Damien Williams proved himself enough to earn a two-year extension, but can he produce on that level for a full 16 games? That remains to be seen, at least in Kansas City.
The reason I’m writing this post is that Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report published an article where he ranked every NFL quarterback’s supporting cast for the 2019 season. He had Mahomes and the Chiefs at the 12th spot, so they’re in the top half of the league, even with the change at running back.
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Here is the blurb concerning the wide receiver position, which was the most interesting part of the Chiefs’ section:
"Mahomes might also lose All-Pro speedster Tyreek Hill, who has been banned from all team activities after audio was released in which his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, is heard asking Hill why their three-year-old son said Hill broke his arm. Hill is also heard telling Espinal that she needs to be afraid of him. Kansas City also has veteran Sammy Watkins, Hill clone Mecole Hardman and 2016 fourth-rounder Demarcus Robinson. But Watkins is injury prone, Hardman needs to develop as a rookie who caught just 60 passes at Georgia and Robinson has just 43 catches in three NFL seasons."
It’s no secret that the wide receiver position is a bit of a tricky one this offseason due to the investigation involving Hill. If Hill is unable to play, Watkins becomes the WR1, but as Gagnon noted, he’s injured frequently, though when he saw the field in 2018, the Chiefs offense was nearly unstoppable.
Demarcus Robinson would probably be WR3, but he’s considered overrated to some. Robinson will have to fight rookie Mecole Hardman for that third spot on the depth chart, and if Hill ends up being able to play, Hardman’s role with the team becomes a little bit more of a mystery.
Gagnon notes that Travis Kelce is what puts the KC Chiefs as high as they are and that makes sense. Kelce is a beast and the best tight end in the entire league. At age 29, he continues to get better and is damn near impossible to bring down whenever he has the football.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much depth behind Kelce. If he were to miss an extended amount of time, the Chiefs would be in deep doo-doo.
Mahomes is the type of quarterback who can get the ball to just about anyone, but his supporting case is not as dominant as it was a year ago, at least not on paper. Damien Williams is talented, but we need to see if he can bring that production to the table for an entire season.
The depth behind him, especially rookie Darwin Thompson, could hopefully provide some pop if Williams slacks. Carlos Hyde and Darrel Williams are also names to keep an eye on, though Hyde is with his fourth team in three years, so take that for what it’s worth.
As for the rest of the AFC West’s supporting casts per this article:
- 27th – Joe Flacco and the Broncos
- 16th – Derek Carr and the Raiders
- 4th – Philip Rivers and the Chargers
Do you think the Kansas City Chiefs should be higher, lower, or are they ranked just right on Brad Gagnon’s list?