Drama can destroy a locker room. Rumors, anger, distrust, and non-cohesion have the power to take what is a great team on paper and make them lost 10 games. This is not a problem that the Kansas City Chiefs have. Ever since coach Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey moved to Kansas City nearly four years ago, the Chiefs have had a stable locker room. Led by many veteran leaders like Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson, and Alex Smith, the Chiefs have found success and even turned seasons around.
Teamwork and Professionalism Make the Kansas City Chiefs Great
There are many great examples to use to illustrate this, but I want to go with two recent events. The first is before the 2017 Draft, when Derrick Johnson and Anthony Sherman agreed to pay cuts to clear salary cap space. Both are great players, bringing talent and experience to positions the Chiefs heavily rely on. Neither player would likely be cut or released by the Chiefs because of what they bring to the mix. Yet they both agreed to make less money for the good of the team. As a result, the Chiefs then traded Dontari Poe and received CJ Spiller and Bennie Logan.
Spiller will be able to add competition and experience to the running back position. Incumbents Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West already share snaps and Kareem Hunt may get some playing time. Bennie Logan will help a run-defense that suffered last season. Both of these possibilities were realized in large part by Derrick Johnson and Anthony Sherman.
The Quarterback Situation
“The most important position in sports” is currently held by Alex Smith. Smith has taken the Chiefs to three playoff appearances, including two divisional round games and the first playoff win after a 20 year drought. He has been among the main players Andy Reid has relied on to win games. However, with his contract soon ending and his age becoming a factor, the Chiefs decided to draft Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes will not start this season, as he will sit behind Smith and learn from Andy Reid.
After a recent interview, Smith said he “understood” why the draft needed to happen and that he was “in (Mahomes’) corner”. It is certainly easy to see how this could be a difficult situation for Smith. Before he arrived in Kansas City, he started for San Fransisco for 7 seasons. After being benched to recover from a concussion, he saw Colin Kaepernick rise. He was then traded to Kansas City, where he has had significant success.
With all the hype of Patrick Mahomes, Smith has sat on the sideline wondering if this is history repeating itself. However, he still at least has projected teamwork and professionalism. This dynamic will be important for the Chiefs, who compete in the most competitive division in football. Smith must be there to help support Mahomes into becoming the quarterback of the future. Doing so will seal Smith’s record of being nothing but a winner for the Chiefs.
