Will Chiefs' Changes Make Them Better In Brazil?

Football is back, and the Kansas City Chiefs' regular season begins in Brazil. What kind of changes can we expect to see on the field this time around? Many of the pieces that make KC a championship contender every season remain in place. Today, I'll take a quick look at the biggest changes on the Chiefs roster this season. While the loss of a couple key players from 2024 may generate some concern, the offseason changes on the offensive line should result in an immediate improvement.

The Chiefs traded away future Pro Bowler Joe Thuney before the new league year began on March 12th. KC still comes into this season with a better offensive line, thanks to the signing of Jaylon Moore and the savvy decision to sign Josh Simmons in the first round. The struggles at left tackle last year were well-documented, and all signs point to Simmons being the Chiefs' answer at that position for many years to come. Kingsley Suamataia should look much better at left guard, between Simmons and elite center Creed Humphrey, than he did when struggling at left tackle last season. This is all good news for a Chiefs offense that ranked 22nd in rushing yards per game in the '24 regular season and 18th in sacks allowed per game.

Losing the guy who played 90% of snaps at the strong safety position is undoubtedly difficult to overcome. Chamarri Conner looks good, but he now has big shoes to fill, and losing your only backup SS on the roster is also a significant obstacle. Safety is probably the team's weakest position now, but strides from young talent like Conner, Bryan Cook and Jaden Hicks could compensate nicely for this. All in all, it's the only place KC objectively downgraded, as long as you like Omarr Norman-Lott as a long-term improvement over Tershawn Wharton, who just got his big payday from the Carolina Panthers. Every other position group, in my opinion, stayed roughly the same or got better. How does Brett Veach keep doing this?

KC obviously isn't alone when it comes to dealing with injuries and roster changes. The Chiefs' Week 1 opponent will miss their elite left tackle for the season because of a torn patellar tendon. As if losing Rashawn Slater wasn't enough, the Los Angeles Chargers' newly acquired lineman Mekhi Becton was on Friday's injury report with an illness that now makes him questionable for tonight's game. Even without these health issues, the unique context of this game prevents me from predicting flawless execution of the game-plan from either team. It's a stand-alone Friday night game in Brazil, and it's only the second game of the NFL season. I think the Chiefs and their coaching staff are better-equipped to deal with this weirdness than practically any other team in the league. 

I'm predicting an exciting 24-20 victory for Kansas City. The Andy Reid script for the first several plays on offense should include context-specific stuff that should give the Chiefs an early advantage. If the playing field is rough, it's always worth remembering that the offense knows where their feet are going, while the defense does not. This bodes well for the man who is probably the most creative offensive play designer of all time. Welcome back to football season, Chiefs Kingdom. Enjoy it!