The top five impactful additions from the Chiefs Super Bowl season.
Following the loss to the New England Patriots in the 2018 AFC Championship, the Kansas City Chiefs knew that several changes needed to be made. The defense was the primary focus once again during the offseason, and the first order of business would be moving on from defensive coordinator Bob Sutton and most of the position coaches on defense.
The Chiefs brought in Steve Spagnuolo to take over as the defensive coordinator in 2019. Alongside Spagnuolo, the positional coaches were replaced with Brendan Daly as the defensive line coach, Matt House took over the linebackers, and Sam Madison as the cornerbacks/ defensive backs coach.
General manager Brett Veach was quick to make adjustments to personnel by trading Dee Ford to the San Francisco 49ers and releasing Justin Houston. Replacements included trades for defensive ends Frank Clark and Emmanuel Ogbah. Safety Tyrann Mathieu signed to a three-year deal and was quickly tasked with becoming the leader of the defense. After missing out in 2018, the Chiefs signed Bashaud Breeland to a one-year contract.
Kansas City brought in several players through the 2019 NFL Draft that would contribute throughout the season as well. Mecole Hardman and Juan Thornhill were selected in the second round. Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders saw more playing time than expected due to injuries. Cornerback Rashad Fenton stepped up in the face of losses as well in the secondary.
Despite significant injuries on both sides of the ball, the Chiefs were able to overcome every obstacle to earn the number two seed in the AFC and go on to win the Super Bowl. After a 2018 season that fell just shy of making it to the Super Bowl due to one of the worst defenses in the NFL, the defense held it’s own as it came together. In many games, it carried the offense. New leaders, playmakers, and depth pieces all helped the Chiefs bring home the Lombardi trophy. Which 2019 offseason additions had the highest impact?