It has been more than a month, but the Kansas City Chiefs still have many reasons to celebrate. They finished 2022 on top as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII, taking home the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years.
Kansas City had a slow start to the season, going 4-2 which included a loss to the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts. The Chiefs managed to win 10 of their last 11 games, with the only loss coming against the then-reigning AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.
With dramatic home wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Bengals in the playoffs, they returned to the Super Bowl for the third time since 2020. Thanks to a comeback led by MVP Patrick Mahomes, the team overcame a 10-point halftime deficit versus the Birds to become champions once again.
But the Chiefs' historic recent success hasn't prevented them from losing key players in free agency. Considered one of the top players in the market, left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Bengals. Right tackle Andrew Wylie followed Eric Bieniemy to the Washington Commanders, and safety Juan Thornhill joined the Cleveland Browns on a three-year deal.
As free agency continues, Kansas City still has many roster holes to fill as free agency continues. While the front office already brought in some replacements, one area still needs some help. With that being said, here is the Kansas City Chiefs' biggest need to address after one week of NFL free agency.
Chiefs' biggest need after first week of NFL free agency: Wide receiver
In addition to Brown and Thornhill, the Chiefs lost another important player in free agency. JuJu Smith-Schuster signed a a three-year, $33 million contract with the New England Patriots last week.
The wide receiver was perhaps the main addition to the Chiefs’ roster last offseason. He joined the organization on a one-year, $10.75 million contract after spending his first five years in the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In his first year with Kansas City, Smith-Schuster became one of Mahomes’ top targets after superstar wideout Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins.
In 16 games, Smith-Schuster had 78 receptions for 933 yards, only trailing All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce in those categories. Those numbers were Smith Schuster's best since his Pro Bowl campaign in 2018, and he also scored three touchdowns after failing to find the end zone during his last season in Pittsburgh.
To maker matters worse, it seems that Kansas City will also be losing Mecole Hardman. Although he dealt with an injury in 2022, the speedy playmaker played a key role for a pair of championship teams.
Other than future contracts, the Chiefs have yet to sign a new wide receiver. This means the team is losing a player who had nearly 1,000 receiving yards but is not replacing him. Also, it is letting a longtime backup walk in free agency as well.
All things considered, it's imperative Chiefs should address the wideout position in the next few weeks. Kansas City could certainly use a true WR1, but someone who can slot in behind Kelce in the passing game pecking order alongside Marquez Valdes-Scantling would make sense, too.
Some options still available in the market are Odell Beckham Jr. and D.J. Chark. Beckham went unsigned in 2022 as he recovered from an ACL injury. Chark totaled over 500 yards in 11 games with the Detroit Lions this past season.
Should the Chiefs sign a player with WR1 potential, they should have a good shot at returning to the Super Bowl.
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