KC Chiefs All-Pro may be on the way out
It’s been a little over a month since Kansas City choked away a 21-3 lead to Tennessee in the AFC playoffs to lose 22-21.
While Andy Reid has been roasted over the coals for becoming the only coach in NFL history to blow an 18-point lead in the postseason on two occasions, the Chiefs have been busy trying to fix things.
First, they traded quarterback Alex Smith to Washington for a third-round pick and promising cornerback Kendall Fuller. (The trade doesn’t become official until the start of the new league year March 14.) Kansas City will hand its offense to second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Then, word came out that the quarterback of its defense, linebacker Derrick Johnson, will be released at the conclusion of his contract on the same March date.
Oh, and the team also signed former Oakland corner David Amerson as well.
It seems that KC isn’t done quite yet.
CBS Sports’ Jason LaConfora tweeted that Marcus Peters, the best player on the Chiefs’ defense, could be on the move as well.
Continue to hear chatter that Marcus Peters may not be long for KC. Figure that intensifies next week at the combine
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 19, 2018
On the surface, this doesn’t make sense; Peters is only 25 and has been voted to the Pro Bowl twice in his three seasons.
Last year, he finished with five interceptions, bringing his career total to 25.
But he was suspended after a late-season loss to the Jets and fined $24,309 for unsportsmanlike conduct. After Chiefs defensive back Steven Nelson was called for holding late in the fourth quarter of that game in New York, Peters picked up the flag and threw it into the stands. He continued his tantrum by walking off the field, leaving his teammates in the lurch.
For a team that squeaked into the playoffs, it seems like Reid thinks Peters might not be worth the headache.
That, along with the trade for Fuller, could spell the end of the Pro Bowler’s time in Kansas City.
Peters’ play did drop last season, but a recent NFL.com poll rated him as the third-best cornerback in the league.
Should Reid think that Peters is starting to trend in the wrong direction, this would be an ideal time to make a deal, with his value still high and with several weeks before the NFL draft.
Kansas City is planning on the return of All-Pro safety Eric Berry, who tore his achilles in the season opener at New England, so a trade of Peters, coupled with the release of Johnson and the acquisitions of Amerson and Fuller, could give the Chiefs defense a whole new look in the 2018 season.
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