Kansas City Chiefs among teams hit hardest by opt outs
By Matt Conner
The Chiefs were among the teams hardest hit by opt outs at the deadline.
By the time the official deadline passed for NFL players to decide whether or not they were going to voluntarily opt out of the upcoming season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 66 decisions had been made to do so. That’s an average of approximately two players for each franchise, but the Kansas City Chiefs had three decide to sit in 2020.
The deadline was Thursday, August 6, for players to make their decision to opt out. However, players are not locked in if they contract the virus sometime in the months to come. In addition, if a player receives a medical diagnosis of any high-risk condition, he is also eligible to opt out. It’s also possible for a player to opt out in the future if he has a family member who is receiving medical treatment for COVID-19.
No one was hit harder than the New England Patriots, who lost several players including defensive stars like Dont’a Hightower and Patrick Chung. The Buffalo Bills lost Star Lotulelei and E.J. Gaines from their defense as well. And the Denver Broncos are still trying to figure out how to replace Ja’Wuan James along the offensive line.
However the Kansas City Chiefs were also among the teams hit hardest by the COVID-19 opt out deadline. Just because they had the resources to fill some areas quickly doesn’t mean that they weren’t major losses. Let’s take a look:
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
The Chiefs starting right guard was the first NFL player to officially opt out of the coming season. Duvernay-Tardif, who is also a medical doctor, will be able to serve on the front lines in Canada by practicing medicine this year. Of all players who decided to sit out, no one has a better plan for life after football than LDT.
When it comes to the team, however, the loss of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif meant that the Chiefs would be forced to move forward without their best starting front line for the foreseeable future. The team’s starting right guard for each of the last few seasons, Duvernay-Tardif is an oft-overlooked cog who has started on the line for a half-decade on a very successful team.
Lucas Niang
The third player to opt out for the Chiefs was also the team’s own third round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. A promising tackle prospect out of Texas Christian University, Niang came into the NFL as one of the team’s biggest draft investments in their offensive line in quite some time.
While he might be the future at a tackle spot down the road, the vision was for Niang to compete for reps at guard when coming into training camp. Given Duvernay-Tardif’s presence at right guard, it feels safe to assume the Chiefs were hoping Niang could impress at left guard and raise the ceiling at a position which has been a carousel since Andy Reid first arrived.
Damien Williams
Williams decided to opt out after the tragic news of a late-stage cancer diagnosis was given to his mother. He was the second of three to opt out and it’s another offensive player removed from the Super Bowl roster.
Willliams’ decision to remain at home is admirable and understandable, but it also doesn’t change the fact that the Chiefs offensive depth is now challenged and their most proven piece in the backfield is now removed. Williams has scored 10 touchdowns in the last two postseason runs (5 games), and his performance in the Super Bowl was as important as anyone else in securing the Lombardi.
The Damage
On paper, the Chiefs were hit harder than most teams in the league by opt outs. While it’s easy to run to the replacements or point to subsequent moves the Chiefs made to fill those spots, we’re merely surveying the damage done (and not any reconstruction efforts).
It’s very possible that the Chiefs lost both starting guards for the 2020 season if no one had opted out. That’s one fifth of the offensive front for a team built to dominate offensively. In addition, their most electric sparkplug down the stretch in each of the last two postseason runs is also out. On paper, that loss is fairly significant, especially when compared to several other teams who had zero players opt out (or whose losses included only fringe players).
The Results
Fortunately, the Chiefs were well-prepared for some of these losses. The team acted quickly to bring in veteran Kelechi Osemele which means the vision for improving left guard with Niang is likely replaced by him instead. Duvernay-Tardif has missed plenty of time due to injuries in recent years, so finding someone else for those snaps is nothing new for this front office.
Of course, the hole created by Williams’ exit was already partially filled by the offseason’s biggest acquisition: the drafting of LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round. Chiefs Kingdom has been anxious to see what he brings to the table even when Williams was still on the depth chart.