The Kansas City Chiefs have their sights set on defending their Super Bowl title. To make that happen, Andy Reid needs big seasons from these five players.
As the old adage goes, defending a Super Bowl title is much more difficult than winning the first one. That’s exactly the challenge facing the Kansas City Chiefs as they enter their 2020 campaign.
The good news is there is still more than enough talent on the Kansas City roster to lift another Lombardi Trophy. The Chiefs have managed to avoid the sort of massive free agency departures that typically shred a Super Bowl winner. That doesn’t mean there aren’t holes to be concerned about.
The offense has a legitimate chance to build on its success from 2019. Patrick Mahomes enjoyed a special season at quarterback, but it’s interesting to note that Kansas City only managed to put up 28.2 points per game. For reference, that mark was only good for fifth in the NFL standings.
It might surprise even more fans to learn that the defense finished seventh in the league when it comes to points allowed. The unit is still a much larger question mark for Andy Reid and his coaching staff moving forward though. There are definitely some high-level players on that side of the ball for the Chiefs, but there isn’t much room for error if things start to go awry.
This team will need some breaks to bring another Super Bowl title to its fans, but big seasons from the following five players would increase the franchise’s chances dramatically.
5. L’Jarius Sneed
Bashaud Breeland is a good bet to miss a portion of the 2020 season after his offseason legal troubles. That could put Sneed in a chance to play meaningful snaps at cornerback right away.
That might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Chiefs when the postseason rolls around. The team’s talent at cornerback is questionable at best. If Sneed can step up and play like a quality starter, it will make this defense a lot more dangerous come playoff time.