Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach seems to have a type of player he jumps on: former highly-touted prospects whose first team are moving on from them. For proverbial pennies on the dollar, Veach often brings in former first-round selections like Taco Charlton and Deandre Baker. While these players may not live up to their former billing, they still contribute more often than not. Cornerback Mike Hughes exemplified this perfectly.
Hughes, the former Minnesota Viking, came to Kansas City via trade in May 2021. The Vikings sent Hughes and a 2022 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round selection from Kansas City. That is a far fall for Hughes, who Minnesota selected 30th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs had an interest in the Central Florida prospect leading up to that 2018 draft. They attended UCF’s pro day and brought him in for a top-30 visit.
Will Mike Hughes remain in Kansas City, or is he a one-and-done player?
Hughes went 16 spots before Kansas City’s top selection that draft, but that may have been a blessing. In three seasons in Minnesota, Hughes only played in 24 games with subpar performance. On 113 targets, Hughes allowed 67.6% completion and a 107.4 passer rating. This performance, as well as more options at cornerback, made moving Hughes an easy decision for Minnesota. The Chiefs took a chance, betting on his potential to emerge yet again.
Hughes’ rookie deal is now done, with his $1.8 million cap hit off the books. Every cent counts, but Hughes plays a position Kansas City desperately needs to replenish bodies. Will Veach and company break the mold and keep Hughes in Kansas City? Or will another team continue to roll the dice with a big contract?
Why bring him back?
The biggest reason for bringing Mike Hughes back would be a positional need at cornerback
The Chiefs had four cornerbacks log more than 500 defensive snaps in 2021: L’Jarius Sneed, Charvarius Ward, Rashad Fenton, and Hughes. Both Ward and Hughes are free agents, leaving two starter-sized holes for Kansas City to fill. With star safety Tyrann Mathieu’s future in the air as well, the Chiefs’ secondary could see a lot of turnover this offseason.
Bringing Hughes back would provide continuity at a financially-responsible cost. Hughes should not expect a huge contract, considering his injury and performance history. However, the Chiefs could be wise to gamble on Hughes with a caveated contract based on his 2021 performance.
This past season was Hughes’ best in his professional career. Hughes played in 17 games and started five, showing he is physically able to play an entire NFL season. Hughes also allowed career lows in completion percentage allowed, missed tackle percentage, and yards per target allowed—all good signs, especially in his first season with a new team.
Hughes may never live up to his draft selection slot, but he may just be a late bloomer and chose Kansas City as the place to start blooming.
Why let him leave?
At the end of the season, is Hughes’ recent improvement a sign of progression or just an outlier? It depends on the optimism, but history says it is simply an outlier.
Hughes’ best year other than 2021 was 2019, a season where he played 14 games. The biggest similarity between those two seasons? Hughes played in double-digit games but rarely started. Hughes started five times in 2021, and three times in 2019. When called upon as a starter, Hughes is serviceable. But, he surrendered multiple touchdowns in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He allowed five touchdowns while in coverage in 2021, a career-high for Hughes.
He allowed three touchdowns in the post-season and had some downright embarrassing moments too.
I am sorry Mike Hughes pic.twitter.com/26C3TYLjOE
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) January 24, 2022
There is also an argument that Kansas City needs to make bigger changes in the position. Bringing Hughes back would be settling in some ways. That cap space could be the difference between keeping stars with the team, or is just an overpay for CB3 at best. Fenton and Sneed are two good cornerbacks for Kansas City. Hughes is not pushing either one out of the depth chart, so why pay decent money for a depth cornerback?
Recommendation
It is a tough call. On one hand, Kansas City needs bodies at cornerback in 2022. On the other, you shouldn’t pay a roster body $2 million or more per year. Again, tough call.
Mike Hughes is a depth player, solid at best. That would likely be his ceiling for any team he joins unless they are in dire need at the position. Is that the type of player that the Chiefs will pay to keep around? If they want championship expectations, settling is not a great way to start.
If Hughes were to return, signing him after the draft might be ideal. The Chiefs have a bevy of draft picks this year, albeit lower selections. If Veach wants to take swings on late-round defensive back prospects, not having Hughes on the team would be ideal. But, if the right players do not fall, Hughes would not be a bad body to bring in. Even if Hughes does re-sign, he would probably not be a roster lock for 2022.
All that considered, the financials still loom large. Kansas City only has $8.9 million in committed money to the secondary in 2022. That is by far the smallest payroll at that position in the NFL. Veach is not known for throwing money at the cornerback position, and Hughes will not be the player to change that.
Prediction
Hughes hangs around on the Chiefs’ peripheryl for the summer but moves on with his NFL career.