Re-casting Ted Lasso characters with Kansas City Chiefs
By Matt Conner
Kyle Long (or Tyrann Mathieu) as Roy Kent
Roy Kent is a complicated character to try to match with a current member of the Chiefs roster. On the one hand, Tyrann Mathieu kinda, sorta made sense for the role since he’s an aging (really that’s a stretch) defender who plays in the box and serves as the team’s emotional captain. In that way, it’s Mathieu in every way.
However, in another sense, Kent’s storyline is largely about a player wondering what he has left in the tank. He’s been an elite player in the past, but he’s clearly past his prime and he’s using this first season with Ted Lasso at the helm to figure out what he’s capable of.
Dealing with injuries and age like he is, it made sense to make this Kyle Long instead, a former Pro Bowl performer in the trenches who is clearly an emotional player with a lot of charisma. Long has come out of retirement to see if he can help the Chiefs make another Super Bowl run, yet he’s already run into considerable questions of what he can add before the season has even begun.