Let’s Argue: Chris Jones’ value right now, new coordinators and Kareem Hunt

Our Mark Gunnels takes on all your hot takes, wacky predictions and unpopular opinions.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Let’s Argue!

Let’s Argue is a returning weekly series that looks at hot takes, unpopular opinions, wacky predictions and more from Kansas City Chiefs fans.

“People need to stop crying about the Cincinnati Bengals game.”

Has there ever been a tweet where you agree with certain parts but disagree with others? Well, we’re here.

Yes, I agree it’s time for Chiefs fans to move on. The NFL season is over — and there’s nothing we can do to change the outcome. But I’ll push back on the idea that the Chiefs have had worse losses. I remember the historic meltdown against the Indianapolis Colts. I remember the field goal game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And yes… I remember Marcus Mariota throwing a touchdown to himself.

Still, none of those Chiefs teams had realistic Super Bowl expectations. The 2021 team, however, was a clear favorite to win it all — and it was certainly expected to beat the Bengals. So to blow a 21-3 lead in the fashion they did was absolutely gut-wrenching.

But as long as the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, the future will always be bright. Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Nick Bolton — and the rest — simply make it brighter.

As to the last part of the tweet…

Whether it’s under a franchise tag or a new contract, there’s no doubt in my mind that Orlando Brown Jr. will be Kansas City’s starting left tackle in 2022. The franchise gave up too much just to give up on him after one year — and besides, the former Baltimore Ravens tackle only got better as the year went on.

Tyrann Mathieu is a different story. That’s going to come down to the contract number. There’s no doubt in my mind that general manager Brett Veach would love to have the defense’s emotional leader back — but the price has to make sense.

“The Chiefs should consider moving on from both coordinators.”

This has been a hot topic since the Bengals eliminated the Chiefs — and I get it.

Let’s start on the defensive side of the ball. Obviously, the Kansas City defense got off to a rough start in 2021 — although, in the middle of the season, things got turned around. But whenever the Chiefs faced a healthy offense with an above-average quarterback, we saw them struggle to string together defensive stops.

Is defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme outdated? Is it time for a new voice? Or is it just personnel issues?

I believe it’s fair to say it’s a mixture of everything — but if you must point a finger, target the defensive front. Considering all of the money that has been invested there, it’s totally unacceptable that Joe Burrow was sacked only once in the AFC Championship.

On the other side of the ball, the main question remains: how much responsibility does offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy have in calling plays?

No one truly knows — but the inconsistencies and lack of in-game adjustments are clearly a cause for concern. I’m not willing to say the Chiefs need to get rid of their coordinators — but I do believe bringing in new voices and opinions could be beneficial.

“The Chiefs should trade Chris Jones.”

Okay… I won’t spend too much time on this one.

First of all, this is obviously a ridiculous take. Outside of Aaron Donald, the NFL simply doesn’t have a more impactful defensive tackle. Talents like this don’t grow on trees — and considering the troubles the Chiefs have had on the defensive front, I don’t even want to imagine what they would look like without Jones.

A better suggestion would be figuring out how to improve on the outside of the line. Edge rusher Frank Clark has shown flashes, but he’s unmistakably not playing up to his contract. And while I love what Melvin Ingram brought to the team, he is turning 33 years old this offseason.

“The Chiefs should bring Kareem Hunt back.”

This is actually a trendy idea for Chiefs fans. Can you really blame people for feeling this way? Ever since Hunt left Kansas City, it appears as if the Chiefs have been trying to replace him — and it doesn’t seem like it will ever happen.

But I don’t believe that’s necessarily a bad thing. If we know one thing about the Chiefs, it’s that they will live and die on the Mahomes’ arm. He is, after all, the best quarterback in the world.

At this point, I believe head coach Andy Reid and his staff are content with running the ball by committee. Under Reid, the Chiefs will never be a team that runs the ball 25 or more times per game. That is just the reality — and remember, the Chiefs won a Super Bowl with Damien Williams.