Sep 19, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
After being embarrassed by the Titans, it is time for the Chiefs to be looking for how to right the ship next season.
The 2021 Kansas City Chiefs are not a good football team. The defense is one of the worst in NFL history, the coaching has been suspect, and the offense has fallen well short of its potential. Even the redeemable parts of the Kansas City Chiefs roster have shown some reasons to be concerned.
The playoffs are not unachievable for the Chiefs, especially with three wild card spots, but the window is starting to close for the red and gold.
The Chiefs have the talent in place to continue to be Super Bowl contenders, but the areas where they lack talent hold the rest of the team back. The Chiefs’ 2022 offseason should be focused on filling the holes, however, that may require some rather drastic changes.
5 moves the Chiefs must make to fix this team in the offseason
1. Replace Steve Spagnuolo
The Chiefs have been to back-to-back Super Bowls, which likely protects every person on the coaching staff. However, neither of those two seasons have been ones that should give the Chiefs confidence in Steve Spagnuolo. Especially after a season where the Chiefs’ defense has been one of the worst in NFL history.
Is Spagnuolo currently being held back by some of the worst defensive contracts in the league? Yes. Is Spagnuolo struggling to work with the results of some of the worst defensive drafting possible? Also yes.
However, in an offseason that is going to see a gutting of the defensive roster and coaching, Spagnuolo can not stay.
Replacing Spags is the hardest part of this process because they are not a ton of competent defensive-minded coaches available right now. In the near future, Vic Fangio may be released from the Denver Broncos, which is a solid choice, but the Chiefs absolutely have to make KC a desirable landing spot for a new DC.
2. Blow up the defense, start over
Everybody must go.
Maybe everybody is not accurate. There is young talent on the defense that will get to stay: L’Jarius Sneed, Willie Gay Jr., Nick Bolton, Juan Thornhill, Mike Danna.
However, everybody else is getting a new forever home.
Tyrann Mathieu, go looking for work. Frank Clark, the Chiefs can cut him. Chris Jones, trade him.
This will upset s fans, but the reality is this defense has not been good in nearly a half-decade. Almost no player on the defense deserves the type of money that they are being paid, and the Chiefs need to make some cap space for free agency this year.
There is some unbelievable veteran talent going into free agency this year. Von Miller, Dante Fowler, Chandler Jones, Brandon Graham, Calais Campbell, Devin McCourty. Are these long-term solutions? No, but they will help make the defense competitive and build up the young talent that is behind them on the roster.