When the Kansas City Chiefs take the field at Arrowhead Stadium to host the Denver Broncos in Week 1, a total of 253 days will have passed since the last time they played meaningful football. That stretch feels like an eternity to a team that's used to playing well into February most seasons, but the collapse to a 6-11 record a year ago gave Andy Reid and his staff a lot more time to think about where things went wrong.
In response, the Chiefs set about signing players, drafting rookies, and firing coaches. A longer period for self-evaluation hopefully yielded proper answers to problems, but there's no way of knowing until the Monday Night Football matchup between the AFC West rivals. Some organizational shifts look better without needing on-field proof (e.g., how much better the backfield will be), but here are the biggest questions facing the Chiefs as they prepare for Week 1.
1. How does Patrick Mahomes look?
Patrick Mahomes hasn't taken an NFL snap since kids were preparing for Christmas break last winter, so despite the positive reports that the Chiefs' star quarterback looks healthy and ready for a new season after suffering torn knee ligaments, the proof will only come once he's leading the offense against Patrick Surtain and the Broncos' defense.
Mahomes could have shaken off some of the expected rust during the Chiefs' preseason. Over three games, Mahomes played zero snaps despite getting a clean bill of health to start training camp. But Andy Reid and company wanted to play it safe and leaned on Garrett Nussmeier and Justin Fields in exhibitions instead. Was that the right move? Even if the knee looks right, the mental part might be the biggest hurdle of all as the Chiefs QB learns to trust his knee once again after his first devastating injury.
2. How does Chris Jones look with real help?
Chris Jones has been the engine of the Chiefs' defense for most of the last decade, anchoring a defense that won three Super Bowls and appeared in two others in that span. But it became clear over the years that the Chiefs have taxed Jones with a heavier load than they should have, leaving him surrounded on the interior by role players who'd have trouble catching on with other rosters.
This year, however, Brett Veach went shopping for some real help for the first time in Jones's career, which has to be a thrilling proposition for a player who has dominated despite the constant double teams and lack of help for so long. Khyiris Tonga raises the floor on early downs. Peter Woods is the new first-round disruptor. Even the enhancement of the edge rush with R Mason Thomas makes a difference. What will that mean for Jones? It will be fun to watch him figure it out.
3. Will Andy Reid really adjust to a new ground game?
Andy Reid's greatness is unquestioned after the Chiefs' dynastic run, but it's also logical to question the offense in the last couple of seasons. The front office deserves blame for handing the coaches a neutered ground game, but now that Kenneth Walker and Emmett Johnson are in tow, fans are still wondering if Reid will actually use them appropriately.
As Mahomes returns from injury, Walker should be the ideal offensive catalyst to help shoulder the load and make defenses pay for employing lighter boxes. Will Reid incorporate more under-center looks? Can a team that was hungry for more explosive players thrive in an offense that's looked safe and stale? The front office did its part. Now it's on the coaches to use the talent.
4. Can the rebuilt secondary coalesce?
Trent McDuffie is gone. Jaylen Watson is, too. Bryan Cook left as well. That's the Chiefs' three best defensive backs from a year ago, now with other teams. The talent on paper looks strong after a complete rebuild, including the arrival of a new lockdown corner in Mansoor Delane and the return of L'Jarius Sneed to a defense in which he thrived. But the game isn't played on paper, and those newcomers will need time to learn how to communicate while the coaches figure out how to use them. The learning curve might be ugly at first.
5. Is offensive tackle going to be a disaster?
Josh Simmons is dealing with a back injury that's kept him away from practice and preseason games for more than two weeks. Kahlil Benson and Jaylon Moore were fighting for the chance to start at right tackle, but neither stepped up in a way that made the choice obvious as the preseason went on and that was before Simmons continued to miss so much time. Now both players might be forced to play even as Simmons, last year's first-round pick, sits out for longer. With Mahomes just returning from injury, the whole setup is unnerving as the Chiefs think about facing Denver's elite defense.
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