Fantasy Football: Where do Chiefs, Eagles go after memorable Super Bowl?
We had the two best teams in the Super Bowl, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles sure put on a show. It was a good day for the over, and a good day for most of the popular props. Points, points, points. A carnival all the way.
What’s in store for these offensive juggernauts moving forward? I’m so glad you asked. That’s our dish for today.
Kansas City Chiefs 2023 outlook
The good news is the three amigos are all back. Patrick Mahomes isn’t going anywhere, Andy Reid has no intention of retiring, and Travis Kelce keeps rolling along, although he’s headed into a scary age-34 season next year. We know the power of this trio.
Isiah Pacheco ran well in the playoffs and even showed juice as a blocker and occasional pass-catcher. He’s set up nicely to be the team’s featured back next year, which makes Clyde Edwards-Helaire probably more of a secondary option. Jerick McKinnon had that glorious touchdown binge back in December, but he’s in his 30s and headed for free agency, unlikely to return.
The wide receiver room is in flux. JuJu Smith-Schuster came to Kansas City on a one-year prove-it deal, and what he probably proved is that he’s a No. 2 wideout. The Chiefs could bring him back, but that’s far from guaranteed. Marques Valdez-Scantling, invisible in the Super Bowl, is under contract but it’s not a prohibitive salary; he could be a cut. Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney both had short walk-in touchdowns against Philly, courtesy of nifty play design. Next year, we’d like to see one of these guys take a step forward.
Chad Henne has retired after 15 NFL seasons. If you’re over six feet tall and know how to hold a clipboard, give the Chiefs a call.
Proactive Draft Targets: Pacheco, maybe one of the younger receivers
Philadelphia Eagles 2023 outlook
The passing game is the easiest discussion for this fun offense. Jalen Hurts has grown into a dangerous passer, and the Eagles challenge every foot of the field with three dynamic, complementary targets in A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. Everyone here has legitimate All-Pro upside, and it’s scary to think we might not have yet seen any of their peak seasons yet. Good luck covering these guys, NFC secondaries.
The backfield is probably going to get shuffled, with Miles Sanders a free agent. Sanders wasn’t a major part of the Super Bowl plan and he’s lost his way as a receiver in recent years. If he wants to return to Philly on a team-friendly deal, the team will surely listen. I’ll be shocked if the Eagles give Sanders a proactive deal, given the fungibility of the position. They understand that more than anybody.
Kenneth Gainwell spread his wings over the last month and might be ready to be the head of a committee, but that’s probably the ceiling of it. The Eagles surely will want to run multiple backs at teams again. And then you have Hurts, the NFL’s most dynamic short-yardage runner. Do the Eagles want to continue to expose Hurts to all those scrum runs up the middle, or is the efficiency too good to back away from?
Philadelphia offensive coordinator Shane Steichen strengthened his stock all year and should have head coaching offers. It’s just a matter of how good the fit is. If he departs, the Eagles have to decide if they want to hire a coach internally, or look outside the organization for their next mastermind.
Proactive Draft Targets: Any of the receivers, or Goedert; Gainwell, if he’s not too much of a helium pick.
