With the first half behind them and plenty of ups and downs, here are the five most important players for the Chiefs moving forward.
Let’s be clear from the outset: the five most important players on any NFL team is going to be the five most talented players and/or most important positions. For the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s a list that is always going to include Alex Smith, Travis Kelce, Justin Houston, Marcus Peters and then we can argue about the fifth—from Tyreek Hill to Eric Berry to Mitch Schwartz to Chris Jones. That remains true whether it’s the first or second half of the season.
For our purposes, we’re all aware of who is most important on the surface. That’s a bit easy for any team, and that’s not where we’re aiming for this column. Instead, as the Chiefs have entered the bye week and get a chance to rest up, it’s the right time for Andy Reid and his staff to readjust and figure out how to shore up some of the weak spots. It also means that some players who haven’t gotten as much playing time might begin to gain some reps.
Remember, the amount of growth between the beginning and end of an NFL season is light years beyond the growth that takes place in an offseason. A player can say they feel much better after working out with the team all year, etc., but given a chance to play the game with pads each week provides precious reps that cannot be duplicated during personal workouts in February or even organized team activities in May.
This means some players who sat in Week 1 could still become important by Week 11. Rookies will learn and adjust. New players will be signed. Some players will blossom as practice does indeed make perfect.
Here are our five best bets on important second half players for the Chiefs: