The Chiefs defense will be at its most vulnerable early in the season.
Every year, NFL teams spend the preseason preparing for the rigors of the regular season. For many teams, the ability to stay competitive is directly connected to their ability to remain healthy and develop depth on the roster. For the Kansas City Chiefs, the 2020 preseason is working the other way around.
As the Chiefs prepare for Week 1 against the visiting Houston Texans, a game that opens the NFL regular season on Thursday Night Football, they are dealing from a limited deck, one in which a few players are already out and/or not ready due to a variety of concerns.
One major issue for the Chiefs is the loss of two players on defense—one of them a starter—due to suspensions levied against them. Cornerback Bashaud Breeland and defensive tackle Mike Pennel will both sit out that first game and more after being punished by the NFL. Breeland will miss the first full month while Pennel will miss the first two weeks.
Beyond the suspension, the Chiefs are also dealing with a number of injuries early in camp that creates questions with certain players and entire positions. Juan Thornhill is still working his way back to full strength in the secondary. From Alex Okafor‘s calf to Derrick Nnadi‘s ankle, and Kelechi Osemele‘s shoulder to Tyreek Hill‘s hamstring, several important players are ailing.
In addition, there’s not as much depth to rely on at this stage, although every team is dealing with this issue, as rookies in 2020 have precious little time to prepare for the reality of the NFL. Preseason games were canceled outright and offseason programs limited, which means some rookies drafted to play important roles—Willie Gay, Jr. at linebacker, L’Jarius Sneed at corner—are going to have to learn on the fly.
Finally, let’s not forget that the Chiefs had more players than most teams decide to opt out for the regular season. From postseason hero Damien Williams to two potential starting linemen in Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and rookie Lucas Niang, the Chiefs suffered some significant losses there as well.
If you take in the picture in its entirety, the Chiefs are certainly talented enough with impact players on both sides of the ball to “run it back,” but they might be much more vulnerable in the earliest days of the season than any other point of the year. In due time, they’ll get back some suspended players about the same time that other rookies are feeling more comfortable. If the team can handle the earliest part of the schedule, they could look really good as the season wears on.