KC Chiefs players who could shine with more playing time in Week 17
By Matt Conner
Khalen Saunders
It’s been a year to forget for Khalen Saunders. It’s also likely led many Chiefs fans to forget about him.
When Saunders came into the 2020 season, he was a prime candidate to break out from a rookie season to his sophomore year. The Chiefs drafted him in the third round just a year ago as a developmental defensive tackle. As the single largest player on the Chiefs roster, Saunders joined the Chiefs with a surprisingly agile skill set that helped him dominate at the FCS level at Western Illinois. Given a full year in the league, Saunders should have taken a major leap forward.
Instead, the COVID pandemic shut down all preseason games. From there, Saunders would dislocate his elbow in the opening game. Suddenly, Saunders missed a half season due to injury and never even had an on-ramp to begin with. Head coach said it best that injuries can often be unfair to players because they can be passed over by others in their absence and that’s exactly what happened here with the emergence of Tershawn Wharton.
Saunders’ potential is still here and there’s every reason to believe he can show the Chiefs once again what he can do with an opportunity. This year, however, has been hard since defensive line is likely the single deepest position on the team. With a strong showing in Week 17, if given the chance, he could be in line for many more snaps in 2021 when players like Mike Pennel are likely gone in free agency.