Chiefs Market Movers heading into the offseason

Which Chiefs players are trending up (and down) as the team enters the offseason?

It’s still mindblowing that your Kansas City Chiefs are back-to-back Super Bowl champions.

It took everything they had in a season where the margins were slim, and the mistakes were plentiful. In the end, they got contributions from up and down this young roster, leaving us with a bullish feeling about the future.

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end — and namely, NFL contracts. The Chiefs face difficult decisions on marquee players like Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed in the next few weeks. They’ll also have to decide on several other expiring contracts — like the restricted (RFA) and unrestricted (UFA) free agents indicated below — where they will need to decide to either save money, upgrade or stand pat.

With a look toward the offseason, here are some Chiefs that appear to be trending based on their 2023 performance and what we can guess about the 2024 roster composition:

Bulls

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Safety Bryan Cook: He could be a somewhat forgotten man in a loaded Chiefs secondary. Going on injured reserve after Week 12, the next-man-up system worked well. Chamarri Conner, Mike Edwards and others stepped in in Cook’s absence and made big plays down the stretch. But we shouldn’t forget the trajectory that Cook was on before the injury and the fact that he’s a big part of the young core of this defense going forward. He might be a reason the Chiefs consider moving on from Justin Reid, which could save $11 million in cap space. Not that Reid has been bad by any means, but the development of young playmakers like Cook could make it easier to move on and get younger and cheaper.

Defensive tackle Mike Pennel (UFA): Based on how the big guy played in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs should be offering him a contract for next season or looking for a guy just like him. He’s in a good position to skip the offseason process and slide in as needed, but his stock has never really been higher after the way he manhandled the great Trent Williams and helped the Chiefs win another title.

Defensive end George Karlaftis: I’m happy to have been proven wrong when it comes to “Furious George,” as he’s exceeded all expectations up until this point. Coming off of his first double-digit sack season, he added another 4.5 sacks in the postseason. He showed some speed and technical ability that didn’t seem likely based on his college film, with some of the best pass rushes of his career coming down the stretch in 2023. The arrow is pointing way up for Karlaftis going into his third year. He might be the type of pass rusher you can build around instead of a complement to the main guy.

Guard Nick Allegretti (UFA): The sixth man on the Chief’s offensive line showed both competence and toughness filling in for Joe Thuney. It was perfect timing for him and for the team. He helped win yet another title for the Chiefs, who drafted him back in 2019’s seventh round. He also had to improve his stock heading into free agency. Playing pretty well with a torn UCL in the biggest game of all. Whether he’s back in Kansas City or somewhere else, it may just be Allegretti’s time to shine.

Linebacker Leo Chenal: Another guy who has come up big in the biggest games for the Chiefs has been the linebacker out of Wisconsin. Chenal has steadily improved over his brief career to the point where he could have argued for Super Bowl MVP. Forcing a fumble, getting a huge tackle for loss and blocking an extra point — these were some of the most pivotal plays in the game. Having proven to be an impact player and someone the team should want on the field, he heads into an offseason where half of the linebacker room will potentially hit free agency. How the Chiefs address Willie Gay, Jr. and Drue Tranquill might show how much they believe in Chenal.

Others trending in the right direction this offseason: safety Nazeeh Johnson (RFA), linebacker Drue Tranquill, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, defensive back Chamarri Conner, cornerback Trent McDuffie, kicker Harrison Butker, wide receiver Rashee Rice, cornerback Nic Jones

Bears

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Wide receiver Kadarius Toney: Being a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl doesn’t always mean that you are on your way out of town (see Clyde Edwards-Helaire last season). But it can’t be a good sign that the Chiefs at least appeared to slow-play his return from injury while they went on a run to the championship. The team already has a new No. 1 wide receiver in Rashee Rice, and they are very likely to add to the position in the draft and free agency. There wouldn’t be any salary cap savings for letting Toney go, so it’s possible they keep him around. But it’s probably more likely that they will move on; it appears they already have.

Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling: We saw peak Valdes-Scantling in the playoffs again this year. He converted big plays in each of the final three postseason games, including a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, it was at the end of his worst career season in every statistical category, marred by drops and questionable routes. The Chiefs will have a decision to make this offseason: save nearly $12 million by releasing MVS, or keep the veteran around, hoping that the postseason version is closer to what we can expect next season. I know what we’d do as fans, but we’ll see what Brett Veach and Andy Reid do in the coming weeks.

Tight ends Jody Fortson (RFA) and Blake Bell (UFA): The Chiefs were quite successful running multiple tight end sets this season, so it stands to reason that they’ll want to keep the room stable or improve upon it. But they also have the top player in the league at the position turning 35 by the end of the year, so their offseason plan should be looking toward the future of the position. The dream of Fortson as a red-zone weapon and all-around tight end feels like it’s fading. He’s dealt with a few injuries, including the shoulder surgery that cost him the entire 2023 season, and once again is a restricted free agent. The Chiefs may bring him back on a tender or minimum-salary contract, but the chances of him becoming an impact player seem to be low. Bell will hit free agency again as a soon-to-be 33-year-old blocking tight end with little value as a receiver. It seems very logical that the Chiefs will look to free agency and the draft to potentially upgrade both of these tight end positions.

Others trending in the wrong direction this offseason: safety Mike Edwards, wide receiver Justyn Ross, wide receiver Richie James, left tackle Donovan Smith, punter Tommy Townsend

Value (Sleeper) pick: Wide receiver Skyy Moore

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One could argue that Moore’s entire career has been sleepy at this point.

He’s thought to be an excellent route runner and reliable receiver, he’s struggled in almost every category and has mostly been a non-factor in his Chiefs tenure thus far. However, Moore has two years left on his rookie contract at fairly reasonable figures. The Chiefs will likely keep him around and continue to work on his connection with Patrick Mahomes this offseason.

In fact, other than Rice, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson are probably the two receivers most likely to stick around while Brett Veach rebuilds the position group. Ideally, Moore starts next season as the No. 3 receiver behind Rice and whomever the team acquires early in free agency or the draft to help lead the room. With bigger investments ahead of him and less pressure on him, we could still see Moore’s arrival next season as part of the solution instead of part of the problem.