With the Chiefs having trouble signing key free agents this offseason how should free agent view the City of Fountains?
The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the hottest teams in the league. Since the start of the 2018 season and Patrick Mahomes’ first start at quarterback, Kansas City has become one of the most feared teams in the league.
Andy Reid and the Chiefs have been working on making the Chiefs contenders since the 2013 season, the Chiefs made one of the best turnarounds in the modern NFL. They’ve been able to build the team with smart draft acquisitions and savvy free-agent additions.
However, how can the Chiefs turn into a premier destination for top-tier free agents?
Well the recipe for a successful team in the NFL is simple.
A few key ingredients: patience, a couple of star players, schemes, and the players must fit together. It is a recipe the Chiefs have been following in the Reid era, making the right moves for a good price.
The Chiefs recently traded Tyreek Hill, one of the biggest deep threats in the league, and have been making small moves to replace Tyreek. But they were never in the running for a big-name free agent on the defense side of the ball. Now the Chiefs will have to wait for the draft where they hope to find some solid players with the four draft picks they have in the first two rounds.
The biggest draw for the Chiefs is the best quarterback in the league who is only 26. Having Patrick Mahomes should be a big draw for free agents that want to get a shot to win a championship, but it hasn’t happened yet. The Chiefs and the city of Kansas City are on the rise though, which could make it a possible destination for free agents going forward.
Kansas City will host the 2023 NFL Draft in April 2023, bringing one of the league’s biggest events to Kansas City for the first time. Kansas City is a big sports town, the fans are loyal, and showing out for the NFL Draft could make an impact on future free agents.
Kathy Nelson, President, and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC explained the impact of the draft coming to Kansas City, as quoted by chiefs.com. “Not only will fans from around the country be traveling to experience the NFL Draft and NFL Draft Experience, but millions of viewers will see Kansas City in the national spotlight on NFL Network, ESPN, and other major networks.”
The Chiefs have been consistently contending, they haven’t missed the AFC Championship Game in the four years of the Patrick Mahomes era and have made the Super Bowl twice, winning one in the 2019 season.
Can the Chiefs turn Kansas City into a free agent destination? I think they already have, the city itself is making improvements and is trying to draw more and more people to come and visit the city.
The city is currently renovating the Kansas City International Airport, and giving the team a private runway to fly in and out of the city. Also, Kansas City is on the rise by extending downtown and adding more stuff for nightlife with the Power & Light District.
Kansas City should be seen as a destination in the league, with a young and electric quarterback and a city on the rise.
