The Kansas City Chiefs have a bright future

In the moments following the Kansas City Chiefs season ending 27-20 loss to the New England Patriots I was not a happy camper. My favorite team had been eliminated from the playoffs and the thing that bothered me the most was that I didn’t feel like they went out with their best effort. Many of their best players were hurt, their fantastic defense didn’t step up and make big plays, and the offense was frustrating to say the least. Despite these frustrations, I believed that after a good night’s sleep I would once again feel good about the 2015 season and the future of this Chiefs team. I was right. The farther away the loss to the Patriots gets, the better I feel about things and I truly believe that KC fans have a lot to be excited about as this team moves forward.

I’m just going to jump right in with the first reason knowing that it will probably be the most divisive for Chiefs fans. The number one reason I like KC’s outlook going forward is because I am good with Alex Smith being the quarterback of my favorite team. Now, if Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers were available I’d drop him in a heartbeat, but they aren’t. The way the Chiefs team and specifically their offense is designed they can win with Alex Smith, I 100% believe that. You can try and sell me on the loss to the Patriots being because Smith couldn’t hang with Brady, but that’s short sighted. The Chiefs offense is supposed to be about distributing the football to KC’s playmakers (Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Maclin, and Travis Kelce) and their big plays are supposed to be matched on the other side of the ball by KC’s opportunistic defense. When two of those offensive playmakers aren’t healthy and the defense isn’t getting any pressure or making plays, that’s a MAJOR problem. Smith still found a way to keep KC hanging around and I for one am happy to have him under center again next season.

The second reason that I am excited for KC going forward is that the Chiefs have a great head coach in Andy Reid. I know, I know, his clock management can make you want to put your head through a wall, but Reid’s strengths DRAMATICALLY outweigh his weaknesses. The players love him. The fact that they didn’t quit when they were 1-5 and had lost their star player for the season shows how much the players believe in him. Reid is a great Xs and Os coach. Like any play caller he has calls that you don’t like but the Chiefs always have creative ways to get the ball in the hands of their best players. Finally, the young players seem to be developing under Reid’s staff better than any of the previous coaches in recent memory. The Chiefs genuinely seem to get better and better the more they are together as a team. While that seems logical, it’s amazing how that isn’t the case for so many teams and coaches in the NFL. I’m thrilled to have Andy Reid as the Chiefs head coach.

The third reason that KC fans should be excited is because they have the right men running the organization. I can’t tell you how much I love that the Chiefs are owned by a classic NFL family in the Hunts that bring with them class and tradition. You may not love everything that Clark Hunt has ever said or done but when you look at how he has gone out of his way to bring the best coaches and general managers to KC regardless of the cost and when you look at how he has been a stable presence while other NFL teams are a complete soap opera it makes me SO thankful that my team has an owner that I believe in.

Then there is Chiefs general manager John Dorsey. I can’t begin to tell you what a great job he did assembling the roster this season. Yes, Andy Reid and his staff deserve HUGE props for keeping the Chiefs playing hard after that terrible start, but that was only possible because John Dorsey had given them such a deep roster to work with. From Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware filling in for Jamaal Charles, to the ever changing starting offensive line, to the selection of arguably the best rookie in the NFL in Marcus Peters, Dorsey built a team that was able to pull off the “next man up” philosophy that every team strives for but rarely achieves. Again, we could all find a move that Dorsey has made that we don’t approve of but that’s true of every general manager in the NFL. None of them bat a thousand. The fact that the Chiefs had the deepest, most talented, and best constructed roster in recent memory in Dorsey’s third year on the job gives me great hope for the future.

Finally, the last reason that Chiefs fans should feel great going forward is that this team has a great core group of talent. These following players are all under contract for next season already and represent a nucleus of talent that should keep Kansas City competitive.

Alex Smith
Jamaal Charles
Spencer Ware
Anthony Sherman
Jeremy Maclin
Chris Conley
Travis Kelce
Eric Fisher
Mitch Morse
Dontari Poe
Allen Bailey
Justin Houston
Dee Ford
Marcus Peters
Phillip Gaines
Ron Parker

There are many other young players under contract that will likely add their names to that list next season, but just the players that I listed above give the Chiefs enough talent to build around to be competitive. If Kansas City can re-sign a few of their better pending free agents like Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson, Sean Smith, Tamba Hali, and Jeff Allen it only adds more proven names to that already strong core. Then Dorsey still has free agency and the draft to fill out whatever holes are left. This roster is in good shape not only for next season but continuing on into the future.

I’m sad that the season is over. I’m bummed that the Chiefs weren’t able to give the Patriots the fight that I thought they were capable of. That doesn’t change the fact that the 2015 season was a success. The team bonded together and overcame a horrific start to not only make the playoffs but break the 22 year old playoff winless streak. Now they know what they are capable of and I expect them to come back next season healthy and ready to take the NFL by storm. The future looks bright in Kansas City and I hope everyone can see that.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!