In our “Let’s Argue” series, our Mark Gunnels considers the hot takes, wacky predictions and unpopular opinions of Kansas City Chiefs fans from all over the world.
The Chiefs’ defense has a lower ceiling in 2025
I actually believe the opposite.
With the losses of Justin Reid, Turk Wharton and Mike Pennel, it’s clear general manager Brett Veach and company are going with the youth movement — although the unit’s core with Chris Jones, Nick Bolton and Trent McDuffie remains intact.
But it’s going to come down to players like George Karlaftis, Leo Chenal, Jaden Hicks, and others to determine how good or bad this unit will be. That’s why I believe the ceiling is higher, while the floor is probably lower.
At the end of the day, I trust defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
The Chiefs should have kept Justin Reid
This ties into what I just said.
While they aren’t exactly equivalent players, Justin Reid played Tyrann Mathieu’s defensive role during the past three seasons. Reid brought tenacity, physicality and leadership to the back end.
Now, it’ll be up to Bryan Cook and Jaden Hicks to take over that role.
The Chiefs should lock up Isiah Pacheco
The Pacheco discussion has been flying under the radar.
All the talk — and deservedly so — has been about the future of two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. According to reports, the two sides are holding off on contract discussions until after the season. There’s no doubt in my mind that both want to get a deal done.
Chris Jones has been the defensive anchor for the last seven years. As he grows older, it would make sense for McDuffie to start assuming his role as the unit’s leader.
There’s even been some whispers of a potential Rashee Rice contract in 2026.
But as far as Pacheco goes, we haven’t really heard much. Before the 2026 season, he’ll turn 27. That isn’t old by any means, but it’s trending toward the running back’s dreaded thirtieth birthday.
While he clearly wasn’t the same after returning from injury last season, Pacheco has now had a full offseason to recover — and after seeing him run in the preseason, it looks like he’s got his juice back.
Considering how thin the team is at running back — and assuming Pacheco stays healthy — I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Chiefs bring him back on a two or three-year deal.
There is little to complain about
I absolutely love this response.
If you’ve been a Chiefs fan before this run, you should have a great appreciation for what we’ve witnessed over the last seven years.
Far too often, Kansas City fans complain about the organization’s front office and coaching decisions. I’m not going to say that Brett Veach, Andy Reid and the rest are above criticism.
Nonetheless, 31 other fanbases would gladly trade places with Chiefs Kingdom.
We should never forget that.
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