Is this the start of the next Chiefs-Mahomes era?

Looking at some of the Chiefs' biggest changes to kick off the NFL offseason.

The dust has officially settled on the 2021-22 NFL season. It didn’t go the way Kansas City Chiefs’ fans wanted, as this is the first time in three years that they watched a Super Bowl that didn’t include their team. That’s led to a lot of introspection and suggestions for changes within the staff, players, and overall approach within the coming years. That’s to be expected. When the expectations are as high as they are for the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs, any season ending in less than a championship will bring about that discussion.

It’s easy to look at the results — four AFC Championship appearances, two Super Bowl games, and one Lombardi trophy hoisted — and suggest that the team keep the status quo. After all, the Chiefs have had the most success of any team in the NFL since Mahomes became the starting quarterback. If they were to “run it back” again with mostly the same personnel and staff, the expectations likely wouldn’t change for this team. They’d still be the odds-on favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl yet again.

With that said, this Chiefs team is at an apparent inflection point. They’ve lost quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka and linebackers coach Matt House to other opportunities. Both coaches are expected casualties for a team with this much success. They also look to be turning over the defense, as eight major contributors from 2021 are free agents, and at least two more will be likely cap casualties. That’s also to be expected with the way Brett Veach rebuilt this defense three years ago.

And yet, it feels like there is an even more significant overhaul on the immediate horizon. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy went through yet another round of head coaching openings and interviews without an offer, and his contract has reportedly expired. This is familiar territory, as a similar situation occurred last offseason with the two sides agreeing on a one-year extension. That decision is looming, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Bieniemy and Andy Reid are meeting soon to discuss his future — with some allusions to Bieniemy taking another opportunity or some time off in 2022.

Furthermore, the personnel turnover on defense is more significant than it seems on the surface. When Steve Spagnuolo was added to this coaching staff in 2019, Veach and Reid emphasized that “Spagnuolo’s guys” were what made this defense tick. Tyrann Mathieu, Frank Clark, and Anthony Hitchens were labeled as the necessary ingredients in turning this defense around — and that defense was a big part of their championship. Looking into the crystal ball, all three players might be absent in 2022, creating a massive void on that side of the ball if the front office is to be believed.

As soon as this week, we may see the dominoes begin to fall on a bigger-than-expected overhaul. If Bieniemy departs Kansas City, the Chiefs will need to replace their two biggest non-Reid minds from recent teams. Coupled with a probable overhaul of the defense, the overall attitude, mentality, and approach could be starkly different than any Chiefs team since 2013. While that thought may be a bit terrifying to some, the potential for fresh blood in the building is also exciting.

Andy Reid is always going to be the man in charge of the offense, but his assistants are integral to the concepts that the Chiefs run each year. Reid entrusts his staff to implement new concepts, bring him new ideas, and to help with some of the gameplanning elements. Losing Kafka and Bieniemy will certainly come with some growing pains, but adding some new approaches and concepts might be what this offense needs to get back to the record-setting heights we saw early in Mahomes’ career.

Even adding former employees that have ventured out into their own spaces could offer some value to Reid and the Chiefs. Matt Nagy and David Culley both went on to forge their own paths as head coaches after leaving Kansas City and are currently not on an NFL coaching staff. While the idea of a “retread” is a little less exciting than a (potentially) innovative new hire, both have been outside the building and gotten to experiment with their offenses. Even some small tweaks or approaches learned outside of Reid’s building could offer enough of a change in the style of the offense — or help with in-game adjustments.

The defense will need new “leaders” as well. There are several young players in the building that are definitely worth building around — Chris Jones, Willie Gay Jr., Nick Bolton, L’Jarius Sneed, and Juan Thornhill are all future impact players and potentially could step into more leadership roles. However, with money to spend and holes to fill, there will likely be some splash signings or trades to help fill out some of those “leadership” roles valued by Spagnuolo and Reid.

On top of all of the visible turnover, the Chiefs will also have to replace Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles after he accepted a position as the Chicago Bears General Manager — as well as any in-house staff Poles takes with him. Those ripples may not be initially felt by Chiefs fans, but make no mistake, they could be massive from a team-building standpoint. There are certainly other members of the Chiefs front office in the pipeline to replace those lost, but in a year with some difficult personnel decisions to make, it’s not an ideal scenario.

Andy Reid values consistency in his staff, personnel, and in the front office. For the first time in his tenture as the Chiefs head coach, there could be significant changes at every level — which is why this offseason feels like such an inflection point for this franchise. The Chiefs have one of the NFL’s top offenses, a great head coach, and some foundational pieces. That will make the floor of the 2022 Chiefs — and beyond — very high. However, missing on one of these hires or additions this offseason could also limit the overall ceiling. With Mahomes at the helm and the Super Bowl window wide open, this team can’t afford to “miss” often.

This team has found success through “running it back” with staff, personnel, and front office positions in recent history. Departures have largely been singular, and overhauling positions on the roster has been very focused. This offseason could see a radical shift in approach with potential needs all over the organization that we haven’t seen since Reid arrived.

This is likely going to be an offseason that we point back to as the dividing point for the next era of Mahomes/Chiefs football — and it could start as early as this week. Let’s hope we’re looking back on it with fondness, and not ruing what could have been.