These positions should be prioritized in Kansas City this spring.
It’s time for the Kansas City Chiefs to pick themselves up from the dirt and heal the wounds that led to the disaster in Super Bowl LIX. The 2024 season was not a failure, but the adversity the team overcame until the ultimate game highlighted areas for necessary improvement heading into 2025.
Here are the Chiefs’ top five positions of need for the 2025 offseason. It starts with the obvious:
1. Left tackle
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One way or another, the Chiefs need a better plan for left tackle in 2025 than the scenario that unfolded in 2024.
The preseason roster relied on rookie Kingsley Suamataia and second-year lineman Wanya Morris to seal the blindside for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. No veteran was in the mix in case the worst-case scenario played out — so when that happened, the Chiefs sacrificed the overall integrity of the offensive line by sliding left guard Joe Thuney out to the edge.
The Chiefs looked for a last-minute solution by signing left tackle D.J. Humphries midseason. Even with the hamstring injury suffered during his first start, it was likely too little, too late.
However, if the Chiefs want an experienced left tackle in the mix this summer, re-signing the 31-year-old Humphries to give him an entire offseason is a good place to start. Outside of that, the external options are limited. It would take a big swing by general manager Brett Veach to cement the position immediately.
2. Wide receiver
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The Chiefs have successfully invested in the wide receiver position over the last two drafts, forming a strong duo in Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy to lead the receiving corps into the future.
It leaves plenty of work to do to surround them for 2025, especially with Rice’s early-season availability in question. The final parts of Super Bowl LIX showed off Worthy’s downfield speed, and the Chiefs need to find a way to unleash that next season. That means surrounding him with other playmakers that garner attention from coverage.
The handful of receivers set to leave the Chiefs in free agency features Hollywood Brown, a strong re-sign candidate, but the rest are role players due to be replaced by younger, higher-ceiling prospects.
3. Running back
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The in-season acquisition of running back Kareem Hunt was vital for the Chiefs’ offense, but it also shined a light on the limited ability of running back Isiah Pacheco.
Yes, Pacheco was returning from breaking a leg bone earlier in the season, but Hunt’s combination of elusiveness and strength through contact raised the floor of down-to-down runs. It also made a difference in short-yardage situations.
The answer for 2025 and beyond may not be Hunt, but the Chiefs need to find a back with similar qualities to complement Pacheco’s one-cut, explosive run style. The team also needs to continue employing a third-down back with Samaje Perine’s skill set; the 29-year-old had limited opportunities in 2024 after being signed just before Week 1.
4. Defensive tackle
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As of now, the Chiefs only have one defensive tackle under contract for 2025: Chris Jones.
The team did sign two unproven, but notable names to reserve/future deals: Fabien Lovett and Siaki Ika. Still, the Chiefs must fill out the rotation of defensive linemen; the team needs both gap stuffers and disruptors to surround an aging Jones.
In recent years, the plan has been to maintain the veteran trio of Tershawn Wharton, Mike Pennel and Derrick Nnadi. However, at some point, younger talent will fill each role in that trio.
5. Cornerback
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The third season for Chiefs’ cornerback Trent McDuffie only further solidified him as one of the league’s best coverage players. At times in 2024, that didn’t matter for opposing pass offenses, which spotlights the depth behind him.
The injury to cornerback Jaylen Watson flipped the Chiefs’ pass defense from good to bad, and that is unacceptable with the way modern football is played. Every team needs at least three or four cornerbacks that can play. The Chiefs’ cornerbacks behind McDuffie and Watson — Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson — failed to instill confidence in the coaching staff when given the chance.
The Chiefs can negotiate an extension with McDuffie this summer, but the rest of the position is entering the final year of the standard rookie term. Therefore, the Chiefs should be proactive about bolstering the long-term depth behind McDuffie.