Kansas City’s organizational model takes a blow
In some respects, the Kansas City Chiefs have become the model organization to follow in the NFL. The Chiefs built through the draft and continue to do so; they identified, drafted, and developed Patrick Mahomes into the NFL’s premier quarterback. Kansas City has a passionate fanbase, its leadership structure has been in place for many years, and the Chiefs do a whole lot of winning: Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and head coach Andy Reid have guided Kansas City to three Super Bowl titles since 2019.
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But in other respects, the Chiefs lag behind other elite teams in the NFL. The NFL Players’ Associaton has little faith in franchise owner Clark Hunt and routinely grades Kansas City’s facilities and amenities as among the worst in the league. Moreover, a recently-departed free agent has left no doubts as to how he viewed his time with a championship-caliber organization: unfavorably.
The Chiefs’ acquisition of pass rusher Josh Uche last season was regarded as a cheap, shrewd move for a team seeking to upgrade its options along the defensive line. But it didn’t play out that way. Uche, a former second-round draft pick, struggled to get on the field; in six games for the Chiefs, the former Michigan Wolverine played only 22 percent of defensive snaps, two years after he had a breakout campaign for the New England Patriots.
Upon signing a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, Uche put the Chiefs on blast, criticizing team leaders for failing to communicate with him after his midseason arrival.
“I’m not too sure from a personnel standpoint or a schematic standpoint where there was a disconnect. At the end of the day, I did what was asked of me to help the team win,” Uche told Philly media. “But as a football player, you want to be out there with your teammates and your brothers. It was a situation where I was coming in the middle of the season, coming in late, and the stars didn’t fully align.”
Uche recorded 11.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits in 2022, and he will seek to prove himself again in Philadelphia, where he will play in 2025 in exchange for $1.9 million. He is the latest defensive contributor — though a muted one — to leave Kansas City in free agency this offseason, as the Chiefs look toward the NFL draft next month to replenish a group that allowed 33 points to Philly in Super Bowl LIX last month.
