ESPN just made sure life will be very difficult for the Chiefs' early opponents in 2023
The Kansas City Chiefs were doubted quite a bit entering the 2022 season due to the trade that sent superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. With the rest of the AFC West improving last offseason, the narrative was that Kansas City would take a step back while the other AFC West teams […]
The Kansas City Chiefs were doubted quite a bit entering the 2022 season due to the trade that sent superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.
With the rest of the AFC West improving last offseason, the narrative was that Kansas City would take a step back while the other AFC West teams took a step forward.
Kansas City, of course, ended up winning their seventh straight division title on their way to winning their second Super Bowl in the last four seasons.
After beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes admitted that being doubted before the season served as motivation for Kansas City.
"Before we started this season, the AFC West said we were rebuilding," said Mahomes during the Chiefs' Super Bowl parade. "I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know what rebuilding means. In our rebuilding year, we’re world champs."
Lesson learned, right? Don't doubt the Chiefs.
Well, it appears that ESPN didn't get the memo.
On Thursday, ESPN predicted that Kansas City will get off to a "slow start" in 2023 and they suggested that it could be "very costly to their Super Bowl title defense".
From ESPN: Defensive tackle Chris Jones has missed a grand total of seven games over his seven-year career. The Chiefs' season-opener is one week from tonight, and Jones still hasn't shown up for camp because he's in a contract dispute with the team. He said on social media that he's willing to hold out until Week 8. At this point, even if the contract got done today and he showed up tomorrow, there's a decent chance he wouldn't play in Week 1 or maybe even Week 2 while he ramps up into football shape….The Chiefs, as usual, have one of the league's toughest schedules on paper, as ESPN's Football Power Index ranks them second in the NFL in strength of schedule. The margins in the AFC this year look very thin among the top teams. If a Jones absence costs them even a couple of early-season games, that could be very costly to the their Super Bowl title defense.
The last thing the Chiefs need is any added motivation. Kansas City is already eager to win another Super Bowl so they can enter into the "dynasty" conversation. They aren't complacent, they're hungry.
A little added bulletin board material will only serve to increase that hunger, much to the dismay of Kansas City's AFC rivals.
There's no guarantee that the Chiefs will walk away with another Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season, but I'd have a hard time betting against them right now — especially after ESPN handed them some added motivation this week.
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Featured image via Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
