The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl and the Feb. 9 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles could be a cause for celebration. With Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and a cast of familiar faces, the Chiefs’ fifth trip to the Super Bowl in the past six years features some names that are synonymous with Kansas City’s rise to become the NFL’s newest dynasty.
Unfortunately, while some Chiefs will be on the roster for years to come, other players could be playing their last game with the team.
With $11.5 million in salary cap room and a roster that could use some improvements, the Chiefs will have to make some difficult decisions while also trimming some of the players who may no longer have a role on the team. In this article, we’ll look at six players who could be playing their last games and what their future looks like if they leave Kansas City this spring.
The Chiefs’ wide receiver situation is one that could use some improvement heading into next season. Xavier Worthy has had a strong rookie season but severe injuries to Skyy Moore and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown forced the Chiefs to search for reinforcements ahead of last November’s trade deadline.
The Chiefs appeared fortunate to acquire DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans but the five-time Pro Bowler didn’t have the impact that many expected. In 10 games with the Chiefs, the 32-year-old has just 41 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns and hasn’t cleared 40 yards since catching four passes for 90 yards in a Nov. 29 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hopkins believed there was another act to his career after signing a two-year, $26 million contract with the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2023 season and he backed it up with 1,057 yards and seven touchdown catches in his first year in Nashville. But this season has been more of the norm recently as the Clemson product has averaged 739 yards over the past four seasons.
A potential Hall of Famer, Hopkins is 16 catches shy of 1,000 for his career and has 12,965 receiving yards and 83 touchdown catches over his 12-year career. But even if a team is looking for a veteran receiver, it appears he’s running out of gas, which should lead the Chiefs to move on this offseason.
