3 scariest questions facing the Chiefs heading into Week 9

While we love a good thrill, we'd much rather keep all things horror-related as far away from our favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs, as possible. Still, it is Halloween so we thought we'd use the theme of the moment to survey the roster and ask ourselves this: What are the scariest questions facing the Chiefs at the present time?

Of course, it's possible to pull together truly horrific thoughts like serious injuries to key players or to project silly ideas ("maybe Andy Reid willl surprise everyone and retire"), but it's important to remain in the realm of the realistic at this stage. We're not ready for horrors of any other kind, to be honest.

Let's look at the three scariest questions facing the Chiefs for the rest of the '24 campaign (while keeping things realistic).

What if the injuries take their toll on the pass catchers?

Hollywood Brown? Out. Rashee Rice? Out. JuJu Smith-Schuster? Out. Skyy Moore? Doesn't matter.

Still three of those four are (or were) in line to be trusted targets in the passing game this season for the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, especially the first two as high-volume targets. Instead, the Chiefs are hoping DeAndre Hopkins can stave off Father Time for a run at a Super Bowl after trading for him in a minor deal with the Tennessee Titans.

Is Hopkins enough? What if Travis Kelce starts to look older? What if further injuries hit the wide receiver position? The Chiefs look woefully thin at this point with Justin Watson and Mecole Hardman playing major roles until Xavier Worthy proves he can step up his game (or that Mahomes becomes better at trusting or finding him).

The position already feels cursed for the Chiefs, even as they're undefeated thus far. Here's hoping things don't get any scarier at wide receiver.

What if no one takes a step forward at left tackle?

Coming into the regular season, the Chiefs did everything they could to have Kingsley Suamataia ready for the role. Two weeks later, they were back to leaning on Wanya Morris. Between the two of them, they have 11 total starts under their belts at the professional level and, unless something changes soon, they are the best (and really only) options for Kansas City to protect Patrick Mahomes' blindside.

If a team is going to trust the process at other positions, then fans need to do the same at left tackle, but it's a bit more difficult here than at other positions simply because the track record isn't all that hot. Donovan Smith was middling and was needed because Morris wasn't ready last season. Orlando Brown cost a pretty penny and yet wasn't the right fit either. Lucas Niang was a draft bust, too.

Basically, the Chiefs have tried several options since Eric Fisher hit the wall due to a late-career injury. That's not to say it hasn't worked or that it's kept the team from sustained success, but it would sure be nice if someone among these young competitors could claim the role. If neither proves capable of being an above-average NFL starter, that's a scary proposition to return to the drawing board.

What if no corner seizes the opportunity in front of them?

The Chiefs secondary looked loaded this offseason with bright young talent and the front office had very difficult decisions to make when the NFL's deadline for active roster cuts were due—or so it seemed. Two months into the season and the Chiefs are hoping someone can step up because the opportunity before them is considerable.

To outline the issue, former seventh-round pick Jaylen Watson claimed the starting boundary corner spot opposite Trent McDuffie to start the season and he looked like a blossoming young star in the role. Unfortunately, a fractured ankle sidelined him for the rest of the season, which meant his spot was open outside. In the early going, no one has really stepped up to claim it as their own.

Joshua Williams is next in line and has all the talent to take it on, but penalties and inconsistent play have kept the coaches from trusting him there full-time. Nazeeh Johnson is still developing after lost time due to injuries, and yet he's also in the team's concussion protocol at the present time. That has left the door open for even younger or less experienced options like Christian Roland-Wallace, Keith Taylor, or others.

Nic Jones, Darius Rush, and Eric Scott Jr. are all on the practice squad, so the Chiefs have some bodies if they want to open up the competition a bit more. But rumors have them "monitoring" the players available at cornerback, so maybe this situation is scary enough for Brett Veach to do something about it.