6 Chiefs Playing Their Last Game With Kansas City in the Super Bowl

2. Nazeeh Johnson, CB

The Chiefs made a bold decision by trading L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans last offseason and the biggest question was how the secondary would perform without him. Trent McDuffie has continued to develop into Kansas City’s top cornerback but the plan was thrown into disarray when Jaylen Watson suffered a season-ending injury.

This threw Nazeeh Johnson into the starting lineup and things went downhill from there. Johnson was the Chiefs’ worst cornerback this season, posting a 52.7 coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus. The 26-year-old also struggled in traditional measures, allowing a 62.7 percent completion rate, a 108.0 passer rating and 1.39 yards per coverage snap.

The low point of Johnson’s season came on the Black Friday win over the Raiders when Johnson allowed a deep gain to Jakobi Meyers. After being benched in favor of Keith Taylor and Joshua Williams, Johnson saw his snaps decline in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers the following week before replacing an injured Chamarri Conner in Week 16.

While Johnson is making a modest salary, there’s no way the Chiefs will bring him back even in a reserve role. It could lead Johnson to battle for a job somewhere next season but it definitely won’t be in Kansas City.

3. Mike Pennel, DT

Pennel is in his second tour with the Chiefs and has performed admirably in a depth role along the defensive line. But with his contract expiring, Pennel could look to gain one final contract to capitalize on what has been a pleasant surprise.

Pennel played with the Chiefs in the 2019 and 2020 seasons but has been used primarily as a reserve. In an 11-year career that began with the Green Bay Packers in 2014, Pennel had just two sacks coming into this season and spent most of last year on the practice squad before collecting six tackles in a Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Pennel backed it up by posting 25 tackles and a career-high three sacks while starting seven games this season.

The Chiefs could opt to bring Pennel back but it may not be their decision. While Pennel’s told Chiefs insider Peter Sweeney that he wants to end his career in Kansas City, that time could be sooner or later as he approaches his age-34 season. With the possibility that the Chiefs want to find a younger option for depth, Penel's departure feels like a realistic scenario – especially if the Topeka native wins another Super Bowl ring.