Laddie Morse
In a season that nearly no one thought the Kansas City Chiefs would end up coming out on top, especially after their ugly 20-to-14 loss to the Raiders on Christmas day, they ended up dominating the win-loss column the rest of the way and took home their second Lombardi Trophy in a row. Now, they’re going for their third in a row and once again, many a national pundit are betting against them. The 2023 season was one to remember so let get to the awards that need to be handed out.
.
.
Creed Humphrey
Joe Thuney would have won this award, if not for his absence in the Super Bowl. Creed is the best Center in the NFL. So, he takes home the award for the best Offensive Lineman of the Year award for the Chiefs organization. Creed was also named to the NFL Pro Bowl as a starter. Of course he was too busy — with the Super Bowl — to attend the Pro Bowl.
.
.
.
.
Chris Jones
Big surprise. Jones was not only the best interior defensive lineman for the Chiefs but he was the best in the NFL. The timing of Jones pressures made all the difference in the Super Bowl. When CJ tracked down Brock Purdy with 7:31 remaining in OT the timing couldn’t be better for the Chiefs. Perhaps more importantly, it was third down and the pressure by CJ made Purdy throw the ball away, forcing a 4th down Field Goal by the 49ers (0:09). Advantage Chiefs.
.
.
.
.
Rashee Rice
Rice is the winner of two awards: WR of the Year and Rookie of the Year. Rice had 26 receptions in the Post season which made him the all-time leader for a Rookie in Post Season receptions. In the regualr season, Rice had 79 catches for 938 receiving yards. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t reach 1,000+ yards in the 2024 season. Rice also had 7 TDs in the 2023 season. here’s his first one, against the Lions (0:26):
.
.
.
.
Travis Kelce
Kelce has had quite a year. He not only gave up his chance to gain 1,000 yards through the air for the eighth season in a row by sitting out the last game of the year so that his legs could be fresh for the post season. But, he began to date the most popular person in the world in Taylor Swift. Swift however, has nothing to do with Kelce winning this award. He is not only the best Tight End in the NFL, but he is the best ever to do it. Yes, he is the TE GOAT. Kelce was not only a starter again in the 2023 ProBowl, but there aren’t enough accolades to describe how good he is. Chase Daniel takes some credit here — false vibrato, and he recognizes it – but says what we all already know: Kelce once played QB and that helps make him the best ever.
.
..
.
.
Drue Tranquill
Drue Tranquill was signed as a free agent last offseason and was amazing for the Chiefs in 2023. When LB Nick Bolton went down with a dislocated wrist in mid-October and was out for nearly two months, Tranquill stepped in and was so good, many of us were wondering if he shouldn’t be the starter. What Tranquill gave to the Chiefs was a fantastic rotational piece at Linebacker and whenever he was in, there was no downturn in the performance level of the core. Here’s Tranquill giving a terrific answer to the question of: what makes Spagnuolo so great? (0:21)
.
.
.
.
Harrison Butker
Harrison Butker only missed two kicks all year. He missed one FG against the Patriots in December and then missed another one the next week against the Raiders. Other than that, Butker was perfect on his Field Goal attempts. In fact he didn’t miss an extra point all season long. By the time the Super Bowl rolled around, many were claiming he was the best Kicker in the NFL and even better than Justin Tucker of the Ravens. Butker made a 57 yard Field Goal attempt in the Chiefs Super Bowl victory. That Field Goal turned out to be the difference in the game (0:13).
.
.
.
Also, Punter Tommy Townsend will likely be trying to cash in on his Super Bowl season success and so he’s hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent. That probably means he’s out of here and will be kicking for someone else in 2024. That also means Veach and his staff will be either drafting a punter in the later rounds or signing one on as a UDFA. In any event, I’d expect a Punter competition in training camp this year.
.
.
.
Steve Spagnuolo
Spags was so good this year that he helped carry the team on his back — or his players did — so that when all was said and done, we were saying: Defense Wins Championships. Here’s Spagnuolo talking about sending a play in and reading the body language of his players when he sends that play in. Pure genius (2:07):
.
.
.
.
.
Patrick Mahomes
There’s just no amount of words for Patrick Mahomes and saying how great he has become. When the Chiefs beat Baltimore in Baltimore, I could see the angst on the faces of the players, especially their QB, Lamar Jackson. Jackson even said it in the week before the game, that he didn’t want to face Mahomes. Jackson said before their AFC Championship game: “I don’t like competing against him (Mahomes) at all.” (then laughed). I think Mahomes is in Jackson head. Here’s Patrick Mahomes before the AFC Championship talking about facing Lamar Jackson. Mahomes basically says the same thing about facing Jackson, but it just feels different (0:29):
.
.
.
Others to Be Mentioned
There are so many other players to be mentioned. LB Leo Chenal is one how played lights out football. Chenal has had a lot of highly rated game.
.
.
6th Round pick (2021) Trey Smith has been invaluable.
.
.
There are many others who deserve mention. Who would you like to give an award to?
.
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
.