KC Chiefs players who could shine with more playing time in Week 17
By Matt Conner
Deandre Baker
When the Chiefs signed Deandre Baker during the team’s bye in mid-November, the idea was that the former first-round cornerback would land on the practice squad to start and work his way up from there. What no one likely envisioned at that time, at least outside of Arrowhead Stadium, is that Baker would be a healthy scratch six weeks later with a mere 7 total snaps for the Chiefs at that point—all of which came on special teams duty.
Cornerback has turned into a competitive spot, where even a valuable contributor like Rashad Fenton is fighting for a handful of reps, but it seems odd that someone like Baker, who was the first cornerback selected overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, would simply languish on the sidelines for any team—even the defending Super Bowl champs. Is his potential not greater than others who are on the field? Is he really that far behind in his understanding of Steve Spagnuolo’s playbook?
Perhaps Sunday will provide a glimpse of what Baker looks like as a major contributor in the Chiefs secondary or maybe it will be another missed opportunity that only adds to the mystery. Here’s hoping it’s the former and that we see a special talent begin to make his home on this defense.