With a most welcome end to the COVID-19 pandemic finally on the horizon, ArrowheadOne has been busier than a proctologist at a political convention! Kansas City’s royal couple have set a date for their nuptials — sorta. Chiefs Kingdom will have to get used to bacon, ’cause we’re all out of Sausage... and Dr. LDT, our resident physician, has prepped, scrubbed, and is ready to heal an ailing O-Line.
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Let’s dive in to this week’s Chiefs chatter, news, moves, & stuff that matters.
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This Week in Chiefs News
Somebody Call A Butcher, We’re Out of Sausage! – On Thursday, March 4th, Chiefs fullback and special teams stud Anthony Sherman announced his retirement from the NFL. Sherman played ten years in the league, his first two with the Arizona Cardinals and last eight with our beloved Chiefs. Sherman’s retirement leaves tight end Travis Kelce and offensive tackle Eric Fisher the longest-tenured members of the team, and the only two remaining from the start of the Chiefs Andy Reid era, 2013.
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Now That’s A Mouthful! – Government Employees Health Association, or GEHA (pronounced G.E.H.A.), and the Kansas City Chiefs announced earlier this week that GEHA will be the exclusive naming rights partner for Arrowhead Stadium. The long-term contract starts with the 2021 NFL season and runs through the end of the current lease agreement with Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. So, just so there’s no misunderstanding, the Chiefs home is GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium … at the Truman Sports Complex… at Kansas City… at Missouri… at USA… at planet Earth. Or, as I like to call it, Arrowhead. Just, Arrowhead.
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Chiefs Offensive Line Woes A Priority for the 2021 Season – In his first interaction with the media this offseason, Chiefs GM Brett Veach assured Chiefs Kingdom that the flailing offensive line that failed them in their Super Bowl LV loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a priority for the Chiefs this offseason. Explaining how the Chiefs would go about accomplishing the rebuild of the O-Line, Veach explained: “I think it will be a combination of what we have in house and blending that with some new talent.” The commitment from the top is music to the ears of many Chiefs fans, still smarting for the Super Bowl smackdown.
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♬Here Comes The Bride ♬ – Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and fiancee Brittany Matthews have announced that they have a “date and a place” for their upcoming wedding. The longtime lovebirds just welcomed their baby girl — Sterling Skye Mahomes — to the world on February 20th of this year, and are now ramping up for another major life event. While trainer and entrepreneur Matthews only gave a vague date of 2022 for the nuptials, the crack writers at ArrowheadOne have narrowed it down to between January 01, 2022 and December 31, 2022. 😁 We promise to keep you updated as we get news.
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Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Lucas Niang, and Damien Williams Are Coming Home – In a radio interview on 610 Sports Radio’s “Fescoe In The Morning” last Monday, Chiefs GM Brett Veach confirmed that: offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, (would-be) offensive tackle Lucas Niang, and running back Damien Williams will all be returning to Arrowhead for the 2021 season. The three players were the only Chiefs who opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Duvernay-Tardif, a licensed doctor, used his medical skills to help battle COVID-19 in his home country of Canada. Williams wanted to be there for his mother, who is battling stage IV cancer. And the rookie Niang, who underwent surgery in 2019 for a torn hip labrum, appeared to use the season to rehab.
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CEH Nabs Mack Lee Award, Travis Kelce Earns Derrick Thomas Award – At the 51st Annual 101 Virtual Awards Ceremony Saturday night, the Chiefs presented running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire the Mack Lee Award for Chiefs Rookie of the Year. Clutch Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce garnered the Derrick Thomas award for the Chiefs MVP of the season. Chiefs players and coaches select award recipients. Author’s Note: Not to detract from CEH’s stellar year, they should have split the award between him and standout rookie cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Both rookies deserved the honor.
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Elsewhere Around the League
WTF tells 2021 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, “Don’t Come Back.” – The Washington Football Team officially released former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith last week. Smith garnered NFL Comeback Player of the Year posting a 5-1 record as WFT’s starting quarterback in the latter-half of the 2021 season. Smith’s unlikely, inspirational comeback from a gruesome, career-threatening 2018 leg injury. The former Chiefs quarterback missed the entire 2019 season and underwent 17 operations to save his leg from amputation. His return in 2020 catapulted the WFT to their first postseason appearance in five years.
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NFL, Teacher Break Barriers, Make History – As Black History Month ended and Women History Month began, the NFL made history, naming Maia Chaka to the NFL’s officiating staff. Chaka is the first Black woman ever to aspire to that role. Selected for the NFL’s Officiating Development Program in 2014, the Virginia Beach, VA Renaissance Academy health and physical education teacher has most recently served as an official in the PAC-12 and Conference USA.
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Former NFL Pro-Bowler/CBS Broadcasting Legend Dead at 81 – Former 2x Pro-Bowl NFL cornerback Irv Cross passed away last Sunday, February 28, from heart disease. Cross also served alongside Brent Musburger as co-host of The NFL Today. Cross was the first African-American sports analyst on national television.
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Chiefs Player Tweet of the Week
What the Chiefs lacked on the O-Line this season, their players make up for in the content of their character. I frickin’ love this team!
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Chiefs Fan Tweet of the Week
Did I mention that I frickin’ love this team?!?
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Chiefs Quote of the Week
“I found a court today, everyone.” – Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, obviously pleased, upon finding a basketball court for a pickup game to celebrate his 27th birthday last week.
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Chiefs Blast from the Past
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Random Chiefs Statistic of the Week
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Special Shoutout
This section is not part of my regular offseason weekly Monday piece, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t tout fellow ArrowheadOne writer David Bell’s excellent efforts these past few months in educating less salary cap-savvy Chiefs fans, like yours truly. David’s penned almost ten articles that deeply explore and explain the Chiefs 2021 needs, salary cap implications, remediation for offensive line woes, and tons of other insight relevant to the Chiefs off-season. If you missed any of David’s pieces, I highly recommend that you take a gander.
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- Chiefs Offseason Needs: Roster Cost Per Player
- Chiefs Defensive Needs and Outlook
- Chiefs Projected 2021 Starters on Defense (With Playmakers)
- Chiefs Offensive Line: Slice It, Dice It, Cut Some Thick, Some to the Bone
- Chiefs Free Agents: Believe It or Not!
- The Chiefs 2021 Roster: THE OFFENSIVE LINE, Series Part I
- Chiefs 2021 Roster Needs, Part 2: FB, TE, QB and RB
- Chiefs: Winning Super Bowl LVI in the Year of the Cap Space Massacre
- Playing Chiefs GM: Putting the Puzzle Together
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Keep this up, David, and that voice on the other end of your next incoming call might be that of Chiefs GM Brett Veach with a job offer! Also, if you’re looking for help with your 2021 Fantasy Football Drafts, you can reach David at …
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Dad Joke of the Week
Great dad jokes (the mother of all oxymorons) are works of art, and I fancy myself a DaVinci. The louder the groans in response are, the better. So, here goes nothing.
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I got fired from the ice cream parlor today.
I think it was because I’ll only work on two sundaes a month.
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I’ll show myself out.
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A Reason To Celebrate This Week
Still sad or upset that the Chiefs lost Super Bowl LV? Can’t stop being angry about an argument that you had with a loved one last week? Something you saw on the news recently tick you off? Still miffed with HBO at the rushed final season of Game of Thrones? Get over it!
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That’s right, there’s a national day of celebration each year, March 9th, specifically set aside so people can resolve to not concern themselves with something that’s already happened, but to move on to more productive pursuits. In short, tomorrow, resolve to just “get over it.”
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After all, life’s too short to sweat the small stuff … and it’s all small stuff!
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A Smile To Start Your Week
Zookeeper inadvertently startles his small friend. You can never go wrong with red pandas!
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Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne
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