NFL writer predicts Chiefs' MVP for the 2022 season
The Kansas City Chiefs have encountered quite a bit of change this offseason, but even so, there are still a lot of familiar faces on the roster. One of those faces is All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce has made his way to the top of the NFL's tight end rankings over the last couple […]
The Kansas City Chiefs have encountered quite a bit of change this offseason, but even so, there are still a lot of familiar faces on the roster.
One of those faces is All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce has made his way to the top of the NFL's tight end rankings over the last couple of years and for good reason. He's easily one of the game's best and is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
A good chunk of Kansas City's roster turnover came in the form of the receiver room. Gone are Tyreek Hill, Byron Pringle, and Demarcus Robinson. Now, it's names like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore highlighting the position group.
But at the center of it all is Kelce. He'll be the one to keep the passing attack on track, which is what makes the Chiefs offense so dynamic.
And that's why CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani has predicted Kelce to be the Chiefs' MVP in 2022:
"Kelce turns 33 in October, but he's still our No. 1 tight end in the NFL. Kelce recorded his sixth straight 1,000-yard campaign in 2021 — a tight end NFL record he continues to build on — and he picked up his third first-team All-Pro Selection and seventh straight Pro Bowl bid. A reason he's going to be important in 2022 is because he's the key weapon for Patrick Mahomes. There's no more Tyreek Hill, and the new group consisting of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore is relatively unproven. It's possible all of the newcomers benefit from Andy Reid's system, but it's also possible no one will be able to separate themselves as a true No. 1 wideout. In either case, Kelce will again be called upon to serve as both a leading receiver and security blanket."
Kelce is the Chiefs' new Hill
In regard to matchups, Kelce will replace Hill, for the most part. The Chiefs relied on Hills' abilities to create matchup problems for opposing defenses, which is what opened up a lot of opportunities for not only himself, but his other teammates.
That's what the Chiefs will do with Kelce in 2022. While they won't be able to use Kelce in the same context and to the same effect as Hill, they'll use him to create other opportunities for the pass-catchers who are working their way through the first-year kinks.
And of course, Kelce's abilities will give him the opportunity to continue to rack up big numbers. The all-around usefulness makes it easy to see why he can be the Chiefs' MVP in 2022.
You can check out Dajani's full column, here.
Featured image via Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
