The Chiefs are set at QB1 for a decade. What about the rest of the depth chart?
As the NFL approaches its busiest time of roster turnover in mid-March, The Star is analyzing each piece of the Chiefs’ depth chart, position by position. How did things progress in 2020? What might need to change in 2021?
We’ve come to the easiest analysis today.
The quarterbacks.
The Chiefs are set here, of course, with 25-year-old Patrick Mahomes under contract through the 2031 season.
But in each of the past two years, they’ve needed someone not named Mahomes to either win a football game or close one out. In other words, while Mahomes has cemented his place atop the depth chart, the rest of the depth chart does carry some weight.
2020 FINAL ROSTER: Chad Henne, Patrick Mahomes, Matt Moore (practice squad)
2021 FREE AGENTS: Matt Moore
POSITION REVIEW
Mahomes spent most of the year in the NFL Most Valuable Player conversation, an award that ultimately went to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers instead.
But Mahomes finished 14-1 — bringing his career record to 38-8 — threw for an NFL-best 316 yards per game and had a 38-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
He was the league’s most efficient passer on third and fourth downs, according to Pro Football Focus, converting them at a clip 13% higher than expected. Even on his worst day, he still had a 79.5 quarterback rating.
So, yeah, he did OK for himself.
A season review of the Chiefs’ quarterbacks is mostly just a review of Mahomes, and you can cherry-pick whatever stats you wish to demonstrate just how good he was.
But we can’t forget Henne. He started a Week 17 game that was meaningless in the standings, and then he subbed into the second half of the AFC Divisional Round against the Browns and keyed a game-sealing drive that was anything but meaningless.
With the Chiefs leading by 5 after the 2-minute warning and Mahomes out of the game being evaluated for a concussion, Henne scrambled for 13 yards on 3rd-and-14 and then found top wide receiver Tyreek Hill on a five-yard out for the game-sealing first down. The sequence advanced the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game.
LOOKING AHEAD
A bit different than this time last year.
The Chiefs prioritized extending Mahomes’ contract last offseason, a domino that kick-started their higher-dollar moves that later included extensions for defensive lineman Chris Jones and tight end Travis Kelce.
With that now settled — Mahomes will make up to $503 million on the deal that lasts through 2031 — this section of our quarterback analysis should look similar for the next decade.
A lot of Mahomes.
General manager Brett Veach has emphasized surrounding the franchise quarterback with as many weapons as possible — even if means expending a first-round pick last year on a running back. This offseason, Mahomes figures to be the priority again, albeit in a different manner. The Chiefs will need to find a way to better protect him and offer him some additional time in the pocket to do his thing.
Andy Reid has also preferred to have a development prospect on the practice squad. The Chiefs signed Jordan Ta’amu to a reserve/future contract.
ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK?
Because of COVID-19 contingency plans, the NFL allowed teams to balloon their practice squads to 16 players, also permitting them to stash as many as six veterans there. That paved the way for Matt Moore to spend the season on the Chiefs practice squad, even as they also carried Jordan Ta’amu for a chunk of the season.
While many coaches enjoyed the roster flexibility, the collective bargaining agreement calls for a maximum of 12 players on the practice squad for 2021. If that’s unchanged, it leaves doubt whether the Chiefs could afford to spend a spot on a veteran quarterback. And Moore is a free agent.
Henne, on the other hand, signed a two-year deal last offseason. As it stands, he will charge $1.6 million to the cap. A release would save $1.25 million, but the Chiefs would need to believe they can find similar value at the position for similar cost, and that seems an unlikely proposition.