The Kansas City Chiefs have become a dynasty of sorts having won three Super Bowls in five years. This year they are going into uncharted territory as they aim to become the first team ever to hoist the Lombardi in three consecutive seasons in the Super Bowl era.
However, winning one Super Bowl is tough enough, let alone three in a row.
The NFL is a tricky league. There are plenty of changes happening from season to season with several roster moves, staff changes, and schedule changes just to name a few. Therefore, even if a team has performed well the previous year, the upcoming season has its own set of challenges.
With that, let us see some of the questions the Chiefs will have heading into the 2024 season.
How will the Rashee Rice situation pan out?
One of the most intriguing off-field situations for the Chiefs is the ambiguity surrounding second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice who was involved in a car crash in Dallas on May 30, 2024. Whether or not Rice will be suspended and for how many games is still up in the air.
Rice, who was a rookie in 2023, took a big step up as the season progressed and was the best wide receiver on the team near the latter stages of the season. If the Chiefs end up losing him for a considerable part of 2024, then this could potentially jeopardize their plans on the offense.
If this is the case, newly acquired receivers Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy will have a lot on their hands while others from the depth chart will need to contribute lest they run into the same woes of the 2023 season where Chiefs receivers dropped balls left and right.
Will Xavier Worthy make an immediate impact?
After the loss of Tyreek Hill a couple of seasons ago, the Chiefs’ aerial attack has not been the same. Adding the fastest player to ever be recorded in NFL Combine history in Xavier Worthy is a step in that direction.
However, there are a few questions regarding his impact on the field. Will Worthy be ready to go lights out from the get-go, especially under Andy Reid’s complex offense? Will he remain healthy throughout the season as he already had a hamstring strain and missed the minicamp in June as a precautionary measure?
Weighing just around 165 lbs., Worthy is a potential injury risk every time he takes to the turf.
Will the loss of L’Jarius Sneed have a major impact?
The Chiefs pulled off yet another Super Bowl-winning season in 2023 on the back of some stellar defense, especially from the cornerback duo of L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie. Now that Sneed has been shipped off to the Titans, the Chiefs have a big hole to fill.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive backs coach Dave Merrit has done an extraordinary job coaching his players and Sneed and McDuffie are just two of those who have benefitted from him.
Heading into the 2024 season, Jaylen Watson could be the starter opposite McDuffie and he will have to put in some strong performances to cope with the big loss at cornerback.
Will the Chiefs’ young Left Tackles be up to the mark?
The left tackle position for the Chiefs is an interesting one.
In 2023, veteran Donovan Smith took care of protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blind side. This time, however, with Smith still a free agent, the strenuous task is not in the hands of year-two starter Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia.
As both players are relatively new at the professional level, this brings up a big question mark on whether they will be able to handle the tough left tackle position.
Will The Chiefs Buckle under the 3-Peat Pressure?
2022 was an exceptional season for the Chiefs as they comfortably went on to win their second ring of the Reed-Mahomes era. In contrast, 2023 was a complete roller coaster of a ride as they just couldn’t get any momentum until the postseason arrived. Surprisingly enough, they still became back-to-back champions.
But, as things stand in 2024, the Chiefs now have the opportunity to do what no other team in the Super Bowl era has done and that is to win the Lombardi Trophy three consecutive times.
It is probably one of the hardest things to achieve in the sports landscape and there are valid reasons as to why all teams before them have failed to accomplish this feat.
The onus is on the Kansas City Chiefs to create history, but whether they will be able to power through yet another grueling season in search of their destiny remains to be seen.
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