Ten Kansas City Chiefs players who need to step up in 2020

The Kansas City Chiefs may be a favorite to win the Super Bowl again in 2020, but they still have plenty of players that need to step up this season.

Kansas City Chiefs fans everywhere can’t wait for the 2020 season to arrive. That is partially because we are starved for the return of sports in general and also because we can’t wait to see if the Chiefs can build off of their first Super Bowl win in decades.

While most fans feel great about the roster as a whole and the Chiefs chances of repeating as champions, there are still several players on the roster who need to step up their game in 2020—not only for the good of the team, but for the sake of their future in Kansas City (and possibly the NFL).

When I originally set out to write this piece, I had a couple of players in mind and was just hoping to fill out a top five list of players needed to step up. However, as I went over the roster, I found enough players that I felt inclined to mention and the list quickly expanded to ten. Even then, I still had a few players who didn’t make the list (who will fall under honorable mention).

There were two main factors in making this list, the first being that the player needs to produce more than he did last season for the Chiefs. His lack of production could have been due to injury, lack of playing time, or just poor performance, but regardless, the Chiefs need more from him in 2020. In some cases, the team needs the player to step up in order for the team to succeed; in some instances, the player needs to step up in order to keep his roster spot on the Chiefs after 2020.

The second factor that weighed heavily when making the list is the level of commitment the Chiefs have made to the player. If a player was a high draft pick, received a big contract, or has been given a starting spot on the roster, there are greater expectations than bottom of the roster players who may also be fighting for a future with the team.

So without further ado, let’s look at some honorable mentions that just missed the cut.