KC Chiefs: Three players with the most trade value before NFL deadline

With the NFL trade deadline only hours away, the Kansas City Chiefs could make an argument to go in either direction.

The most realistic direction for the Chiefs is to go all-in on the present season. They’re certainly still within striking distance of everything they set out to achieve—to win the AFC West, to make the postseason, to then make a run toward a third consecutive Super Bowl. They have the coaching staff, the expertise, and the overall talent to do the job. This is the way that makes the most sense with the current makeup of the team.

That said, there’s also another door for the Chiefs and it’s one the Denver Broncos have already stepped through despite having the same exact record as the Chiefs at 4-4. Yes, the Broncos were at .500 and could hope for a playoff push, but George Paton also knew he had another window to trade the likes of pass rusher Von Miller to get maximum return. He was realistic about the team’s chances before them and made his decision.

The Chiefs could do the same. They’re 4-4 with losses to every good team on their schedule. They barely outperformed the New York Giants at home this week, and they’re making the same mistakes again and again with turnovers and penalties—as if they lack the ability to learn and improve. With the way they are playing on both sides of the ball, they have no real chance in the postseason and it can feel a bit silly to hold out belief in the face of a half-season of evidence to the contrary.

At the end of the day, there’s little reason to believe, however, that the Chiefs will cash in their chips and think ahead to next year. There’s far too much talent and pride here to think otherwise. The Chiefs are every bit as dangerous as anyone else in the AFC when they’re clicking and there’s a lot of runway left this year.

But just in case the Chiefs decide to sell, we decided to come up with a few trade deadline scenarios here in which the Chiefs could sell on different levels. One is if the Chiefs just want to realistically sell for max return. Another is if the Chiefs wanted to pull a minor deal and remain competitive. Finally, a third scenario is if another GM is like Brett Veach.

You’ll see what we mean as we get going.