Arrowheadlines: ESPN analyst believes the Dolphins could be the next rival of the Chiefs

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Best duos on each NFL team heading into 2023: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce lead Chiefs; OL greats pace Eagles | CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs — Patrick Mahomes (QB) and Travis Kelce (TE)

The best duo of any kind in the NFL belongs to the Chiefs, as Mahomes and Kelce are the best players on the team that has won two Super Bowl titles in the past four years. Over the past five seasons, Mahomes and Kelce are the two best players at their respective positions.

Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards (23,957), passing touchdowns (192) and passer rating (106.0) among quarterbacks with 1,500 pass attempts since the 2018 season.

Kelce is third in the NFL in receiving yards (6,444), second in receptions (504) and fourth in touchdowns (47) since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018. These two have helped the Chiefs reach five consecutive AFC Championship games, win three conference titles and two Super Bowl rings.

Mahomes and Kelce are the centerpieces of the Chiefs dynasty — and an unstoppable duo.

Top 10 NFL QBs of 2023: AFC reigns supreme as Jets’ Aaron Rodgers joins Bills’ Josh Allen, other stars | CBS Sports

1. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

The easiest QB to rank by far, Mahomes is the definition of a real-life cheat code in this sport. His freestyling can afford opponents chances to steal the ball, but more often than not, his greatest threat seems to be, well, the possibility of getting bored of his own dominance. A whopping 64-16 as the star point guard of Andy Reid’s motion-heavy attack, not including an 11-3 playoff record that includes two Super Bowl titles and already makes him a virtual Hall of Fame lock at 27, Mahomes is a sneaky scrambler. But his video-game numbers are chiefly fueled by those signature acrobatic arm angles, and an inherent big-play mentality that emerges when the lights are brightest and stage is biggest. Chiefs fan or not, he’s a wonder to watch, and with wins to show for it.

Every Team’s Most Important Contract Extension Ahead of 2023 NFL Season | Bleacher Report

Kansas City Chiefs: DL Chris Jones

Kansas City Chiefs standout defensive lineman Chris Jones is entering the final year of his contract, is angling for a new deal and was not at mandatory minicamp.

Presumably, Jones wants to be one of the league’s highest-paid defensive tackles, and while he’s due to earn $28.3 million this season, his annual $20 million value is less than those of Aaron Donald, Daron Payne, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence, Javon Hargrave and DeForest Buckner.

Keeping Jones happy and on the roster should be a priority for Kansas City, both because of his on-field prowess—he had 15.5 sacks during his 2023 All-Pro campaign—and his leadership ability.

“He’s one of the main reasons that we’ve had the success that we’ve had,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said, per PJ Green of Fox 4 Kansas City. “He’s been that leader on the defense.”

Extending Jones now might also provide some cap relief, depending on how his next deal is constructed. The 28-year-old has just $7 million in dead money on his deal and a base salary of $19.5 million. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have less than $1 million in cap space.

Converting a large chunk of Jones’ salary into a bonus that is spread over several years could give the Chiefs a little financial breathing room heading into the summer.

2023 NFL rookie updates: Notes on 31 first-round draft picks | ESPN

31. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas City Chiefs

How he has fared so far: Anudike-Uzomah practiced little for much of the offseason after having thumb surgery and fighting a sore hamstring. He returned to practice about the time the Chiefs were finishing up, leaving his coaches with little time to evaluate him. “He’s worked through [the injuries], and he’s back in the swing and looks like he’s feeling better every day, which is a good thing,” coach Andy Reid said.

The Chiefs have George Karlaftis, who had six sacks as a rookie last season, and free agent addition Charles Omenihu at defensive end, so they don’t expect Anudike-Uzomah to become an immediate starter. They do expect him to play and be a contributor, however. — Adam Teicher

Why one prominent analyst says Dolphins can challenge Chiefs for next five years | Yahoo Sports

ESPN analyst and former Washington and Philadelphia personnel executive Louis Riddick doesn’t merely believe the Dolphins will win the AFC East.

He also says the Dolphins are one of the two teams best positioned to challenge Kansas City’s AFC supremacy in the next five years.

“A team other than the Bengals that can really challenge Kansas City [over the next five years] has to be Miami because they have got firepower on offense,” Riddick said. “They have got a fantastic defense that is going to take a step up.

“I understand every time I bring up Miami’s name, people say ‘Well, Tua [Tagovailoa] can’t stay healthy.’ I get that. I get what his track record is. I would assume this year offensively, they are going to [change a bit] philosophically to the point where the run game — as you saw it last year when it was really dialed up — it was something that could take pressure off Tua. It could slow down opposing pass rushers and help their offensive line.

“If Mike McDaniel emphasizes that, they have got weapons coming out the ears. Defensively, they have a young nucleus of guys who are QB hunters as well as any team in the AFC, or NFC for that matter, who can get after Patrick Mahomes. This team is uniquely positioned to make a run and can start doing it this year. The quarterback position obviously has to be on the field.”

Greg Olsen Makes Prediction About KC Chiefs’ Travis Kelce’s GOAT TE Case | Arrowhead Report

Despite Kelce continuing to age, he isn’t showing many — if any — signs of slowing down. The football world knows that, and it isn’t stopping anyone from opining on his rank among the NFL’s all-time greats at the position. In a recent appearance on USA TODAY’s Sports Seriously show, longtime NFL tight end and current broadcaster Greg Olsen chimed in on Kelce’s current ranking and future potential to climb even further:

“Yeah, he’s on the Mount Rushmore for sure. He’s in that top three or four. I said this last year, actually, on a live broadcast of one of his games: I think another couple of years — another year or two of the production that he’s had over these last, call it, seven or eight — I never thought in a million years [that] anyone would be able to catch Tony Gonzalez. I think Tony’s longevity, in conjunction with his productivity, just put his numbers so out there.

“I think when you factor in Travis’s consistency, his production of where he is now on the all-time rankings and now you throw in [that] he’s won multiple Super Bowls, holds multiple playoff records, multiple postseason records... he’s just as well-rounded productivity-wise as any player who’s ever played the position. So I think in another year or two, I think we could be having the conversation that Travis sits atop that whole list, which is saying a lot when you start thinking of some of the names that have played tight end over the years.”

Around the NFL

After 16-sack season, Eagles LB Haason Reddick says ‘there’s still more levels’ for him to ‘tap into’ | NFL.com

As Reddick enters his second campaign with Philadelphia, Reddick plans to build on his previous success and help lead the Eagles to another Super Bowl appearance in 2023.

“I’m in great shape,” Reddick said this past weekend at his fifth annual youth camp, via The Philadelphia Inquirer. “As crazy as it sounds, I feel as if there’s still more levels for me to tap into. I’m extremely excited and looking to build on another great year. I want to continue to progress on what I did and what the team did last year.”

Last season was a career year for Reddick. After four seasons in Arizona followed by one in Carolina, Reddick signed a three-year, $45 million contract to return to his Philly roots. The 28-year-old linebacker finished his first season in Philly with career highs in sacks (16), QB hits (26) and forced fumbles (five). That led the Temple product to earn his first Pro Bowl honor.

‘Epic for the NFL’: Cook interested in teaming up with Hopkins | ESPN

Dalvin Cook, a free agent after his release from the Minnesota Vikings this month, has an interest in teaming up with DeAndre Hopkins on his next team.

Speaking Monday on “The Adam Schefter Podcast,” Cook said of Hopkins (also a free agent who remains unsigned), “If we end up on the same roster, that would be something epic for the NFL.”

Cook, who played six seasons for the Vikings, turns 28 in August and was set to take up $14.1 million in Minnesota’s cap space for 2023. After trade talks simmered, the Vikings released the star running back.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Roster 2023: Identifying depth and replacement-level players

Replacement level

Defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi: Nnadi is a one-dimensional player who has struggled at times at defending the run. While he still holds value, it would be nice to see rookie Keondre Coburn push for the role, making Nnadi more of a rotational player.

Defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton: Rehabbing a torn ACL, Wharton is entering his fourth year in the league. His lack of size makes him vulnerable against the run. His upside is mainly in his pass-rushing — but with just 5.0 sacks in the past three seasons, limitations exist.

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