It took less than 50 days for the Kansas City Chiefs offense to get all shook up.
Out With The Old, In With The New
It all started March 17 when WR Byron Pringle, who had an expanded role last season, signed with the Bears. A day later, on March 18, news hit that the Chiefs would be signing former Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Another significant wide receiver, veteran Demarcus Robinson, departed Kansas City and signed with the Raiders on March 22. The same day, the Chiefs signed speedster wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling from Green Bay and Corey Coleman from the Giants. Adding three new notable wide receivers to the team in a few days did raise eyebrows. Fast forward to the next day, and it would all make sense.
On March 23, the blockbuster trade of Tyreek Hill rocked Chiefs Kingdom. The star wide receiver was traded to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks, including a 2022 first-rounder and second-rounder.
Kansas City upped its running game on March 27, adding RB Ronald Jones II from Tampa Bay.
It didn’t take Mahomes long to build a rapport with his new weapons. On April 5 and 6, he was seen working out with Smith-Schuster, Valdes-Scantiling, Coleman, and Jones, along with a few familiar teammates during his offseason training in Texas.
Familiar Faces Returning
In addition to his new weapons, Mahomes will have some familiar faces to throw to, like his trusty TE, Travis Kelce.
Wide receiver Mecole Hardman will also return along with WR Josh Gordon, who resigned with the team on March 8. Running back, Clyde Edwards-Helair remains on the roster, and RB Derrick Gore will be back after signing his qualifying offer on April 8.
Riveting Rookies
On April 29, the second day of the draft, the Chiefs used its second-round pick from the Dolphins to acquire WR Skyy Moore. Andy Reid told the NFL Network that Mahomes was excited about the selection.
But the offensive additions didn’t stop there. After the draft, the Chiefs scored big by signing undrafted free agent Justyn Ross on May 2. Ross has already been impressing Mahomes in OTAs, according to the quarterback’s Twitter.
This year, the Chiefs’ offense will look much different, with Mahomes having more options. The opposing defense will be unsure of what to expect from the new offense, leaving them confused at first.
Kansas Sports Betting
With Kansas sports betting on the horizon, Kansas bettors may even get a chance to place prop bets on some of these new players before the end of the season. The talk is that Kansas sports betting will launch in January of 2023.
