In this special offseason series, we analyze the best players in Kansas City Chiefs history to wear every single uniform number. Here’s No. 15.
So I have to trust that you’re just out there reading this column, because there’s just no way to hear if you’re there or not above all of this noise. The Patrick Mahomes hype train (woot, woot) is off and running, blowing its horn left and right, which makes it hard to hear whether or not you’re even interested to read this. After all it is time for No. 15.
I’ll move forward anyway, just trusting that you’re present and excited to read. And I will trust that this hype is Bryce Harper and not Brien Taylor.
The Others
There’s a couple nice entries here that don’t necessarily merit winner or runner-up consideration but I have fond memories of them all the same.
Steve Breaston was once a great import from the country of Arizona located in Central America. From there, Breaston was supposed to be the next great offensive addition to partner with Dwayne Bowe, Dexter McCluster and Jon Baldwin to form a prolific passing attack for Matt Cassel.
At the time, many of us talked ourselves into thinking that was a decent cadre of talent, but looking back, that’s a pitiful overall bunch. Sure, Breaston put up decent stats for the Chiefs but even on a bad team, someone is going to put up yards. The reality is that that core of four was not going to create real mismatches against anyone of note.
Other guys we liked when they were around: Todd Collins, Verran Tucker, Mike Williams. Other guys we never liked: A.J. Jenkins.
The Runner-up: Kerry Reardon
Just a cool anecdote from the ’70s here.
A local kid born and raised in Kansas City goes to college and stars at Iowa and then gets drafted to come back home. Plays a solid enough defensive back from 1971 to 1976 with his hometown team and puts up a very respectable 14 career interceptions over 58 games. It’s a total that ties him with Derrick Johnson and Eric Berry (at present) and is more than Ron Parker or Brandon Carr had with the Chiefs.
That deserves a mention.
The Winner: Patrick Mahomes
There is zero chance I am going to press “Publish” and submit an article to the Interwebz (where your past haunts your present) that doesn’t list Patrick Mahomes as the best Chiefs player to wear No. 15. In fact, if I had to write a story about the best Chiefs player of all time, I’d be tempted to write about Mahomes now just because the hype is so deafening at this point that I don’t want to be wrong.
But honestly, you’ve never even heard of Kerry Reardon so putting Mahomes already in the winner’s circle really isn’t that much of a stretch. He looked great in that season-ending win over the Denver Broncos last year, and that was likely enough to get us here.
Next: The Best to Wear It: No. 14
Congratulations to Patrick Mahomes for being the greatest Chiefs player to ever wear the No. 15 on his uniform!