Byron Pringle should continue to earn major snaps for KC Chiefs
Week 16 was a glorious week for the Kansas City Chiefs.
For starters, the Chiefs iced the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 36-10, with prolific performances from both the offense and defense. The Chiefs were able to secure their 11th win without star players like Travis Kelce, Rashad Fenton, Harrison Butker, and others. They then claimed the AFC West for the sixth time in a row, securing their spot in the playoffs after a horrific 3-4 start to the season.
With the offense’s great performance, one player stood out among the rest. Without Kelce, someone had to stand out in the receiving to make up for his absence. Byron Pringle was there and was able to contribute massively in Week 16:
Byron Pringle‘s Performance
Pringle had an absolute monster of a game, catching six passes on seven targets for 75 yards and two touchdowns. He set career highs in targets, receptions, and touchdowns in a single game. One touchdown, in particular, caught the eyes of Chiefs and NFL fans. It was his second touchdown reception for 16 yards.
On this play, Pringle ran a five-yard slant, quickly cutting into his route, leaving him a significant amount of room to secure the catch. He then juked the first defender closing in on him, and then his true talent showed after what happened next. He ducked under the second Steelers’ defender and used his lightning-fast speed to blitz into the end zone for six:
https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1475244067902660613
Pringle flashed his prolific talent, soaring across the field the whole game. He’s been doing great for the Chiefs this season, as he’s 1st on the Chiefs in yards per reception (14) while being 4th in receptions (34), 5th in yards (477), and 3rd in receiving touchdowns (5) on the team.
What Does This Mean For Pringle’s Future
As the season goes along, I could see Byron Pringle being targeted a lot more by Mahomes these next two weeks. With the trust with him and Pringle growing after this game, Pringle has the skills to be able to be a reliable third receiving option for Mahomes this season. I can also see Mecole Hardman’s numbers continue to trend down; aside from Pringle, Derrick Gore and Darrel Willaims could prove to be reliable backfield targets, swiping away Hardman’s targets after Kelce returns to the offense.
Pringle played in 80% (55) of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps on Sunday. I can see his snap count staying somewhere near that 80%-70% range. While his targets may go down a bit with Kelce returning next week, he’ll still be a contributing member of this Chiefs’ offense.
Overall
Byron Pringle has made a big leap forward after his dominant Week 16 performance. He has a lot of talent, and he has earned his snap count numbers and his target share. Don’t be surprised if he continues to explode in this Chiefs’ offense.
Do you believe Byron Pringle will continue to trend up after his Week 16 performance? Leave a comment down below to join the discussion. Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic day!