Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 1/1

Justin Houston Wins Deacon Jones Award from The Mothership

"I'm very honored and humbled to earn this award named after one of the greatest defensive players and sack masters of all time," said Houston, whose accomplishments will be recognized as part of NFL Honors, the NFL's primetime awards show on NBC at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday night, January 31.   "I'd like to thank my teammates, coaches and our fan base. They rallied behind us all season long and helped fuel our pass rush. To have my name mentioned in the same sentence as a player like Deacon Jones is truly a blessing."

The Deacon Jones Award was created in 2013 to permanently honor the legacy of DEACON JONES.  Jones died on June 3, 2013 at the age of 74.

Chiefs Weekly: Top Social Posts from The Mothership

As the season comes to a close, Chiefs player reflect and thank the Chiefs Kingdom.

Chiefs Cheerleader Krystal Selected for 2015 Pro Bowl from The Mothership

Chiefs Cheerleader and eighth year veteran, Krystal, will be representing the Chiefs organization at the 2015 Pro Bowl.

Krystal is a software architect for a healthcare IT company and is a graduate of the University of Richmond. She grew up in El Paso, TX and both of her parents were in the military.

"I couldn't be more excited and proud that Krystal will be representing the Chiefs and the Chiefs Cheerleaders at the Pro Bowl," Stephanie Judah, Chiefs Cheerleader Director, said. "She is the true definition of hard work and heart on this team. She is going to have the time of her life and she deserves it."

Time Change: Part II from The Mothership

But back in 1970, anyone who knew Len Dawson, or knew of him, could not believe he would knowingly associate with such a person or compromise his team's chances for a world championship. Respect for sports stars of that time still carried some weight.

The support for Dawson was overwhelming from the moment the story broke until after the game. Moreover, Dawson did not see a reason to run for cover or assemble a team of attorneys to protect him. He simply told NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle what he knew - and apparently the league already knew plenty of gambler Dawson -- and that was enough for the man in charge. It was also enough for long-time Kansas City Star sports editor Joe McGough, who said of the quarterback in a column, "there is no subterfuge in the man."

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs and the Garmin Virb in 2014

KCChiefs.com Video: Community Visit: Ambassador Holiday Outreach

KCChiefs.com Video: Arrowhead Update 12/31: Chiefs in the Community

Chiefs sign LS Brandon Hartson to reserve/future deal from Chiefs Digest

The 6-2, 238-pound Hartson entered the league in 2013 out of Houston as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears. He spent 2014 training camp with the Bears before being waived in late August.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs appear set for an offseason battle at the long snapper position.

The 25-year-old Hartson becomes the second long snapper signed to a reserve/future deal in the past 24 hours. The Chiefs signed Jorgen Hus Tuesday.

Chiefs LB Justin Houston wins Deacon Jones Award from Chiefs Digest

Houston has been on a terror for opposing quarterbacks the past two seasons, totaling 33 sacks in that span to record the second-best mark for back-to-back seasons in franchise history. The production ranks second to Thomas' team record of 33 ½ sacks established during the 1990-91 seasons.

Houston's 48 ½ sacks on his four-year career in Kansas City ranks sixth in team history and he is the ninth player in team history to record 40 or more sacks.

Kansas City Chiefs season report card from ESPN

2015 outlook: The Chiefs should be a playoff contender again if they adequately address some glaring weaknesses on the offensive line and at wide receiver. Ultimately, it was their shortcomings at those spots that dragged down their passing game and ruined their season. The Chiefs are expecting several compensatory draft picks because of their losses in free agency last year. That would allow them to cover a lot of ground. The Chiefs might not be contenders for the AFC West championship as long as Peyton Manning is the quarterback of the Broncos, but it will be a disappointment if the Chiefs are not a part of the wild-card race.

Gates: 1st Chiefs loss was the key from The San Diego Union-Tribune

Losing to the Chiefs last Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium denied the Chargers a playoff berth.

But it wasn't that defeat to Kansas City that bugged Antonio Gates the most.

The Week 7 setback at Qualcomm Stadium, the veteran tight end said this week, was the team's worst loss of the 2014 season.

Dorey: The best, worst in fantasy football for 2014 from USA Today

Best free agent: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs. Only the deepest leagues saw Kelce drafted. He scored five touchdowns and finished with 67 catches for 862 yards. That was good enough to end up among the top five at the position.

Looking ahead to the burning questions for the NFL in 2015 from Yahoo! Sports

1. Who will be the biggest free agent on the market?

Let's assume Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant gets re-signed or stuck with the franchise tag. It's very hard to believe he's hitting free agency. Even if he did, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh might still be No. 1 on the list. His franchise number is obscene ($26.7 million) so it's unlikely the Lions tag him, and he's come this far so why not test the open market? Yes he can be a bit dirty at times, but finding a disruptive force like this on the defensive line is just about impossible. Also battling Suh for the top spot: Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston, fresh off a 22-sack season.

Report: Bears Request Permission To Interview 5 For GM Job from CBS Chicago

The Bears have requested permission to interview five individuals for their vacant general manager job, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The candidates are Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson, Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta, Texans director of pro personnel Brian Gaine and Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace, Schefter reported.

Bears already targeting head coaches from The Chicago Daily Herald

Dave Toub, Kansas City

Mike Ditka isn't the only special teams coach who went directly from that job to spectacular success as an NFL head coach. John Harbaugh was Philadelphia's special teams coordinator for nine years before he became a head coach in Baltimore, where he has guided the Ravens to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons.

Toub's special teams have consistently outperformed anyone else in the NFL. In that position, he has extensive experience in molding ever-changing parts into a high-functioning unit.