The latest
Chiefs Could Lose Two of Their Stars This Offseason | SI
From Henry Matthews (@henrymHuss26H): Could the Chiefs lose both Trey Smith and Nick Bolton in the offseason?
Henry, I think it’s going to be a challenge to keep either guy and, to be clear, that’s not due to any lack of love either one has from the people running the show. The trouble is that it’s going to be tough to keep either guy off the market, since Smith’s franchise tag figure will be based on what the top tackles make, and Bolton’s tag number will be based on what high-end edge rushers make (which is why off-ball linebackers and interior offensive linemen routinely make it to the market); and the Chiefs have a lot of mouths to feed.
Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis will be eligible for new contracts for the first time. Joe Thuney, Jawaan Taylor and Creed Humphrey have top-end deals already, which means fitting a fourth lineman into that equation could be challenging (though it wouldn’t be a stunner if Taylor wound up leaving). Justin Reid and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown are among the other guys up for new contracts. And as it stands, without adding anyone, they’re already close to the cap.
Is a Chiefs Super Bowl 3-peat fun or annoying? | SB Nation
Michael:
As a fan of a football team that plays in the AFC, I am very much annoyed by the back-to-back dynasties established first by the Patriots and then followed by the Chiefs. Let me be clear: I am a fan of watching history be made and/or built. There’s something special about saying “I was there” or something like that. But here’s the deal: When the team that has now been to five of the past six Super Bowls is sitting in the same division as your favorite team, there’s no silver lining for anything that makes it any more palatable.
It’s exhausting watching the Chiefs make their third consecutive Super Bowl. The Super Bowl hasn’t been enjoyable to watch for most of the past decade. There’s nothing fresh about watching a Super Bowl rematch from two seasons ago. I want to see more fresh-faced players win the ultimate prize. I want to see franchises with little to no Super Bowl history make it to the big game and potentially change the way their team is viewed in the national spotlight.
Literally anything is better than watching a divisional rival potentially make history as the first team to ever three-peat as Super Bowl champions.
Ironically, the other team in this game is from your division, so I completely understand why you’re rooting for KC. What a predicament we’ve both found ourselves in, huh?
Which Chiefs and Eagles can bolster Hall of Fame cases? | ESPN
Still some work to do, but maybe …
G Joe Thuney
It’s the most extreme case, but here’s how tough it is for a guard to earn the gold jacket: Jerry Kramer was the only guard selected to the NFL’s 50th anniversary team and still had to wait until he was named to the Hall’s Class of 2018 as a seniors finalist, 44 years after he was first eligible.
Chiefs legend Will Shields was named to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls to close out his career and wasn’t selected for enshrinement until his fourth year of eligibility. He was the third right guard to be enshrined.
There are almost as many centers (11) in the Hall of Fame as true guards (15), but the 32-year-old Thuney has a profile that will get some support in the years ahead. He’s a four-time Super Bowl winner and a three-time Pro Bowl selection overall, to go with back-to-back first-team All-Pro selections over the last two seasons.
It’s the Mahomes effect to some extent: Three of Thuney’s Pro Bowl selections have come in his four seasons with the Chiefs. His finishing kick for Hall consideration may depend on his health and desire in the seasons ahead.
Interior Offensive Line: Trey Smith
While Stanley may play a position that is traditionally more valued, Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith might be the most coveted offensive lineman scheduled for free agency.
He’s been one of the biggest catalysts of Kansas City’s Super Bowl-bound rushing attack this season and could hit free agency amid a boom in the interior-line market.
Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson recently reset that market with a $21 million-per-season contract.
Smith is an elite run-blocker and didn’t allow a single sack in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus, while starting all 17 games. He won’t turn 26 until June and has a legitimate chance to top Dickerson’s deal in free agency. If he doesn’t, he should come close.
The Chiefs should be eager to retain Smith, though that may not be feasible financially. Kansas City is projected to have just $16.3 million in cap space, while he carries a projected market value of $19.7 million annually.
The projected tag value for offensive linemen is $23 million.
The prediction here is Smith reaches the open market and finds a new deal with a cap-rich team. The Tennessee Titans figure to be a prime landing spot for a few reasons.
For one, Tennessee has $50.3 million in projected cap space and recently hired Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi to be its general manager.
Secondly, the Titans are expected to find a new quarterback in 2025 and need to protect him. Pairing Smith with 2023 first-round pick Peter Skoronski at guard would give Tennessee a strong foundation along its offensive interior.
It’s also worth noting Smith played his college ball with the Tennessee Volunteers, making a partnership with the Titans a homecoming of sorts for the 2024 Pro Bowler.
Prediction: Tennessee Titans
Super Bowl 2025 early overreactions: Eagles better than last time they faced Chiefs? Kansas City worse? | CBS Sports
The Chiefs are a worse team than the one that took the field in Super Bowl LVII
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
The Chiefs are going for a three-peat for a reason. They are still a talented roster with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Patrick Mahomes and one of the greatest coaches ever in Andy Reid. Besides Mahomes and Reid, the Chiefs have continued to win because of the impact players general manager Brett Veach has drafted over the past three years.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie and pass rusher George Karlaftis are franchise cornerstones on defense and keep getting better. Same with center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy is a key piece on the offense and Rashee Rice was huge in winning the Super Bowl last year (currently on injured reserve). The Chiefs also have reliable veterans at pass catcher in DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Of course, Travis Kelce is one of the best playoff performers ever.
The Chiefs are still loaded. Don’t let the weaknesses on the offensive line fool you.
With Another Devastating Loss, the Bills Are a Footnote in the Chiefs’ AFC Dynasty | The Ringer
What moment will define this latest failure?
Is it the corner blitz, a diabolical call deployed at the perfect moment by Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo that sent Allen into a backpedaling heave on fourth-and-5 of what could have been the game-winning drive? Allen’s lob somehow managed to hit tight end Dalton Kincaid in the hands as he dove for it, but the ball hit the ground between his forearms, putting Kansas City back in control of the game.
Was it the turnover on downs in the fourth quarter, after Allen’s failed quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1? The call on the field was that Allen was just short. Replay made it look like Allen might have just gotten it over the line to gain, but the call was upheld. Either way, the Bills paid a steep price for their repeated inability to adjust to a Chiefs defense that came with a plan to stop Buffalo’s version of the Tush Push. Kansas City seemed to have the Bills’ snap count timed perfectly so that they could jump it, and they clearly keyed on Allen’s tendency to go over the left guard, which failed multiple times.
“It looked like he got to it,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. “It hurts. But the game comes down to inches.”
Around the NFL
Browns GM says Myles Garrett won’t be traded no matter what the team is offered | CBS Sports
Myles Garrett isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at the Senior Bowl that he will not trade Garrett no matter what the team is offered.
Berry was also asked directly if the Browns would turn down an offer of two first-round picks.
“Correct,” he said, via Cleveland.com. “You can put that on the record.”
Earlier this offseason, Garrett briefly mused about a potential trade that would have him continuing his career elsewhere. A few weeks later, he was singing a different tune. “We’re closer than some may think we are,” he said earlier this month.
With that quote seemingly in mind, Berry said he was open to discussing an extension with Garrett.
Football bettors post rare win vs. Nevada sportsbooks | ESPN
Football bettors in Nevada beat the sportsbooks out of a net $2.1 million in December, the first monthly loss during the NFL regular season for the state’s bookmakers in 12 years.
It’s only the 13th losing month on football bets during the regular season in the state’s history and the largest net loss on football since November 2012, when the sportsbooks lost $5.3 million on bets on the NFL and college football, according to Nevada Gaming Control.
Favorites, always popular with the betting public, won 76.7% of games outright in December, the highest winning percentage for the month since 2005 and fourth highest in the Super Bowl era. The chalk covered the spread in 59% of games during the month, the fifth-best mark in the Super Bowl era.
Overall, in December, Nevada sportsbooks won a net $15.0 million, almost all of it coming on bets on basketball.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce gave Nikko Remigio message before big punt return
Remigio announced his presence with authority by opening the Chiefs’ Divisional Round victory over the Houston Texans with a 60-yard return on the opening kickoff. He claims to have predicted his success to assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub before the game.
“Going into the game,” he recalled, “I had told our head special teams coach, Coach Toub, that, ‘I’m about to hit it today. I don’t know what’s about to happen, but I’m about to hit it.’ He called a middle return right out of the gate, and that’s exactly what happened.”
A week later, with the stakes even higher, Remigio recorded a 41-yard punt return in the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills to start a drive at the Buffalo 34-yard line. Six plays later, the return set up quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ first rushing score of the night.
Remigio had called for a fair catch on Buffalo’s first punt. He revealed a conversation with tight end Travis Kelce that helped him take advantage of his second opportunity.
“This was the first punt that they kicked, and I went and fair caught it on the 10,” explained Remigio. “Really, I had some room, and I had an opportunity to take the punt. But I was like, ‘Man, this is my first time being in the AFC Championship Game. Let me just get my feet wet a little bit.’
“I went, and I ran to the sidelines. [Kelce] was like, ‘That’s not being great.’ I’m like, ‘He’s right.’ I went out there for the next punt, and I was like, ‘I’m taking it regardless.’ He was the first one to greet me coming to the sideline, and he was like, ‘That’s how you be great, Dog!’ I was like, ‘Man, this is a dream.’”
