KC Chiefs: How did opting out of season affect returning players?

Lucas Niang, OL

It’s possible to view the decision to opt out for Lucas Niang as both a positive and negative development, and it’s unlikely to untangle that tension from any perspective.

For Niang, his decision to opt out only delayed his rookie season with the Chiefs after being selected in the third round out of TCU in the 2020 NFL Draft. Think of it as a professional redshirt season. Clearly Niang was able to train and hear from the Chiefs during his time away, giving them a year to sort of grow together without it counting in any contractual sense.

That means, on the positive side, Niang is now under team control for another four full years. If Niang is able to lock down the starting right tackle role, for example, at some point in 2021, he will still be a cost-controlled starter along the line in 2024. That’s potentially an incredible value add for the Chiefs.

Here’s the downside: Niang could have already had the job sewn up at this point. The Chiefs were down every single starting offensive lineman last season, save for center Austin Reiter, heading into the Super Bowl (and even before), which means the 2020 campaign would have been an ideal season to have any and all help along the offensive line.

When the Chiefs selected Niang, they likely pictured him sitting for a year anyway in the shadow of Mitchell Schwartz. Instead, Schwartz, who was previously an ironman for the team, left in Week 6 due to back pain and never again returned to the field. At that point, Mike Remmers became even more of a super sub, but it would have been the perfect transition for Niang to slide right into a long-term role at bookend.

Had Niang not opted out, we’d likely be discussing him as a known quantity at right tackle. Instead, we’re headed toward a competition on the right side at both guard and tackle, with Niang likely to go against Remmers for starting reps outside as the replacement for Schwartz. The team earned an extra year of control but Niang would have been a big help in that Super Bowl.