Coming for the Kingdom: Can Worthy, other rookies really propel KC?
The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to do something no team has ever done: win three straight Super Bowls.
The rest of the NFL is trying to stop them.
Here are the key elements of the Chiefs’ success, which will again play a role in their quest ā and could provide clues to how other teams can unseat the kings of the NFL.
(Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports)
Other stories in series: How past 3-peat bids failed | Steve Spagnuolo’s genius | What if Travis Kelce hits wall?
The Kansas City Chiefs’ pursuit of an unprecedented three straight Super Bowl titles is one of the top stories of the NFL season. Everyone knows they have the quarterback and coaching to do it, but now theyāll be relying on some new faces to help them achieve that goal as well.
Head coach Andy Reid’s playbook is one of the most complex in the NFL, and notoriously difficult for rookies to pick up, especially wide receivers. But general manager Brett Veach has drafted well the past few years, and receiver Rashee Rice played an integral role as a rookie last season in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl championship.
Here are four offensive rookies to keep an eye on as the Chiefs get ready to defend their throne for the second straight season.
The Chiefsā 2024 first-round draft pick is going to play a huge role in helping them try to get back to the Super Bowl and pull off the sacred three-peat. Worthy has concerns surrounding his frame and how being 165 pounds will translate to the NFL, but his speed canāt be replicated by any other Chiefs wide receiver. The deep threat he presents showed up in training camp and preseason. If he can perform like just an average NFL wide receiver, that would be a huge boost to a Chiefs offense that had to slog through actively hazardous wide receiver play last season.
Worthy, along with offseason addition Hollywood Brown and Rice, is hoping to be the ārealā receiver the Chiefs were missing last year. With Patrick Mahomes onboard, no one is asking Worthy to be a world beater. Just be better than the last guys. That should be an attainable goal for a rookie who is set up to be a big-time contributor for the long haul.
Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy scores against Lions cornerback Amik Robertson in a preseason game on Aug. 17. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Kingsley Suamataia, OTUpside, upside, upside is the name of the day when it comes to Suamataia, the Chiefs’ second-round draft pick last spring.
Suamatia is a bit raw, but heās going to have the runway to learn and harness his athletic gifts with Reid and Andy Heck, who is regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the league. Suamataia is going to immediately open as the Chiefsā left tackle and it might look rough at times, but itās hard to find 330-pounders who are as athletic as he is.
Like Worthy, in a world where Mahomes is the quarterback, thereās a greater room for error than other rookies. It would be great if Suamataia was a shutdown left tackle from Day 1, but that might not be feasible considering he was nearly a third-round pick. Still, the upside is here for the Chiefs to have one of the best offensive tackles in the league if he develops on the right timeline.
Jared Wiley, TEWiley could be the gem of the Chiefsā draft class when all is said and done. The former TCU tight end, selected in the fourth round, doesnāt have the path to a whole bunch of snaps right now with future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce still on the roster, but heās a really good athlete for a player of his size (6-foot-6, 249 pounds) and should make an impact in limited reps.
This is more of a stash pick that can pay off dividends in the future, but even in a spell role, Wiley should be able to show off the athleticism that made him an early Day 3 draft pick.
Carson Steele, RBNo one really had this guy pegged for a role in the Chiefsā offense prior to the season, but it appears that this undrafted free-agent running back will be actually playing for the team.
After running for 87 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries in the preseason, Steele found himself with a secure spot on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster. Heās currently the second running back on the Chiefsā depth chart (behind Isiah Pacheco) with Clyde Edwards-Helaire slated to miss the first four games of the regular season.
Carson Steele might emerge as a surprise out of the Chiefs’ backfield this season. (Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports) (USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con / Reuters)Who knows if Steele can make an actual impact, but his tape in the preseason was good enough for him to be here. The Chiefsā running game could use a huge boost after a rough 2023 season and Steele might be the guy to do that. At the very least, heās a new option to try in the backfield.
