The Kansas City Chiefs offense is built around the absurd talent of Patrick Mahomes, but over the last several seasons, it has also been built around two uniquely talented pass-catchers: tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Obviously, that will not be the case in 2022, after the Chiefs traded Hill to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for first-, second-, and fourth-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, as well as a sixth-round selection in 2023. Instead, the Chiefs will have to do things a bit differently.
Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is excited for the challenge.
“You love the challenge. That’s the beauty of it,” Bieniemy said at a press conference this week. “And the thing that it does, because we’ve had so many people around for so many years, it forces us to go back to the foundation — establishing the foundation of building it and making sure that we’re addressing all the little details of every concept to make sure that everybody has a complete understanding of exactly what we want and how we want it done. So it’s been fun. And it’s been fun for us as a staff, too, just making sure that we’re teaching it the right way.”
In Hill’s place, the Chiefs brought in a diverse group of receivers who bring different aspects of the game to the table. In Marquez Valdes-Scantling, they have a big-bodied deep threat. In JuJu Smith-Schuster, they have a big slot, possession receiver. And in rookie Skyy Moore, they have a shifty slot man who can also get deep down the field on the perimeter.
“They all bring something different to the table and that’s the unique part about it,” Bieniemy said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of diversity because everybody presents something different. So it’s going to be new, it’s going to be exciting. And like I said, it’s been fun. And you hear us out there — it’s a lot of fun because these guys are learning something new for the first time. And so that’s what’s exciting about it.”
There’s no question that Kansas City’s offense will look different than it has in the past. The question now is whether it can be as efficient and explosive as it was with Hill; the answer to that question will likely determine whether or not the Chiefs return to the AFC title game for the fifth consecutive year, and whether the can advance to their third Super Bowl during that time.
