The Chiefs’ three most significant offseason departures
This season, familiar faces will be in different roles; which players will Kansas City miss the most?
Following the first Super Bowl victory in this era of Kansas City Chiefs football in 2019, the team famously “ran it back” by keeping the majority of the Super LIV championship team intact for the 2020 season.
In the aftermath of their championship victory, the Chiefs have a completely different strategy than they did three years ago. At least seven key starters have left since helping the team win Super Bowl LVII, and the club has signed and drafted players to replace them.
Right now, there is reasonable optimism that the team made the right decisions; however, once the season begins, certain absences may be felt.
I highlighted three players that the team and fans may miss at some point in 2023:
Defensive end Frank Clark
For the first time in defensive coordinator Steve Spagunolo’s tenure in Kansas City, veteran defensive end Frank Clark will not lead the room. Clark signed a one-year contract with the Denver Broncos that included a guarantee of approximately $5.5 million.
What will the Chiefs miss most? Clark’s leadership, or his influence on the players around him? Last year, training camp attendees witnessed Clark taking time away from practice to teach rookie defensive end George Karlaftis the ropes of the trade.
Clark has also clearly been the vocal leader of the defensive front, which may be lacking in the current unit. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is more of an energy source than a motivator, and the rest of the group is very young. Mike Danna, a fourth-year defensive end, appears to be a quiet workhorse who prefers to set a good example.
The Chiefs lack a veteran with Clark’s experience, which may be missed more than we realize right now. Furthermore, Clark’s willingness to do the dirty work on run downs and eat up snaps will be missed; he, like defensive end Carlos Dunlap, were dependable in that regard.
Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
The Chiefs made a quick decision to replace starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals for four years and $64 million, much less than many expected.
I believe Brown’s limitations as a pass protector were the main reason for their decision. With the greatest quarterback in football, the left tackle should excel at pass blocking. However, Brown was a standout in the Chiefs’ run game. The team began calling more traditional runs in which Brown would bulldoze defenders on a down block or get into space to create a run lane down the field.
Veteran left tackle Donovan Smith possesses some of that ability, but is not as physically intimidating. It may have an impact on the Chiefs’ run game, but Brown will also be missed for his durability. Brown missed only one game for Kansas City in two years, while Smith is
The Chiefs clearly failed to develop wide receiver Mecole Hardman into more than a gadget weapon with home run potential.
What is less widely discussed is the importance of quality in this offense. The Chiefs used Hardman’s elite speed and acceleration for jet sweeps, quick screens, vertical shots, and designed reverses. In theory, that defined role is easier to fill than a more complex wide receiver position, but they cannot match Hardman’s game-changing speed.
That could lower the ceiling for those plays, and games like Hardman’s three touchdowns on three jet sweeps against the San Francisco 49ers last year may not occur. Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, or whoever takes Hardman’s spot will make big plays in these situations, but they may not have the same touchdown-on-any-play ability.
