3 Worst Offseason Moves From the Chiefs' AFC West Rivals
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has done a remarkable job at handling the current NFL offseason. From re-signing key pieces like Chris Jones and Drue Tranquill to adding the likes of Marquise Brown, it's clear that the Chiefs are doing everything they can to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
But before they chase another Lombardi Trophy, the Chiefs must navigate the regular season as they gun for a ninth AFC West title in a row. The rest of the division has been making offseason moves to try and keep pace with the defending champions. While some of the decisions might work out, others could blow up and are already looking laughable.
When it comes to the latter, here are three of the worst offseason moves from the Chiefs' AFC West rivals thus far.
1. Chargers Gutting Their Offense
If a team wants to go toe-to-toe with the Chiefs, a talented offense is needed. The Los Angeles Chargers learned that the hard way in 2023 as they lost both meetings to the Chiefs while scoring a total of 29 points. Those poor performances were just examples of why Los Angeles finished the year with the 12th-worst attack in the NFL.
Having said that, it wasn't like the Chargers' offense was devoid of talent. Justin Herbert is a solid quarterback who had solid weapons around him, including Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler. Naturally, Los Angeles fans were excited to see what newly hired head coach Jim Harbaugh could do with the group.
Instead of rolling with what they had, the Chargers opted to gut the offense outside of Herbert. Williams was released earlier this month before signing a one-year deal with the New York Jets, Ekeler signed a two-year contract with the Washington Commanders after hitting free agency, and Allen — a six-time 1,000-yard receiver — was traded to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 fourth-rounder.
Fast forward to the end of March where Herbert pretty much has no one around him. Gus Edwards — who's never hit the 900-yard mark — was brought in to be the new No. 1 running back while Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnson, and Derius Davis are currently the top three receivers on the Chargers' depth chart.
The aforementioned WR trio only combined for 91 receptions, 1,078 yards, and four touchdowns last season. For comparison, Allen amassed a 108-1,243-7 stat line on his own.
Unless the Chargers pull off some serious moves and their offensive pieces make significant developments, their offense will struggle when it comes up against the Chiefs' world-class defense next season.