The Top Five Most Disliked K.C. Chiefs
Laddie Morse
It’s hard to say why we prefer some things/people more than others. The reality is, we like, and love, some while hating/disliking others. If you had asked me a year ago, I’d have put Anthony Hitchens and Daniel Sorensen on this list. Thank goodness the Chiefs saw fit to move on from them this offseason. They were not my favorite performers. I have nothing against them personally, it’s just a football thing.
If we were talking about the top four “favorite” Chiefs, as in a recent Mount Rushmore grouping, I’d have to put Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in that group. However, these names are not the players we like so much as the players some of us, “don’t Like” so very much. While some of these names are beloved by many, there are others who, for some reason, clearly don’t like them. Let’s take a look:
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Brett Veach
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Ever since the Chiefs previous General Manager, John Dorsey, parted ways on June 22, 2017, and then Brett Veach was handed the reigns on July 10th, 19 days after Dorsey’s departure, he’s been treated by a vast portion of the public like HC Andy Reid’s yes-man. Since owner and CEO Clark Hunt had re-structured the organization when Dorsey came about in January of 2013, so that the Head Coach and the General Manager reported directly to him, many have assumed that it was Reid who got Dorsey fired because he felt he could work with him.
Although there are those GMs in other organizations who I’m sure are antagonized by Veach and some of the moves he makes, whether that’s in the draft or at other times of the year, this piece is more about the enmity within the Chiefs Kingdom for him.
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While Brett Veach has been villainized more in years past for his drafts — like for taking RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round (see below) — his two most recent drafts have been so good that you hear and read far less decent towards his moves.
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Mecole Hardman
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If you think back to the time when Mecole Hardman was drafted, that really came about because the Chiefs didn’t really know for sure whether or not they’d have WR Tyreek Hill going into the next season. Since then, Hardman has not done much on the field to justify his 2019 second round pick draft status. His production for the past three seasons has looked like this:
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Hardman has had a very solid 2022 Training Camp so the naysayers have gone quiet… for now. He was injured and he is said to likely be eligible to play in Saturday’s Preseason Game 2, but I’m hoping he doesn’t try that. I’d like to see him wait and ball out when the regular season begins.
So far, in this preseason, he has gotten many of the routes and snaps that Tyreek Hill would have gotten. So, we can look for a very good year from Hardman, otherwise, his boo-birds are likely to rear their nasty heads once again. Although there are those who have a genuine distaste for Hardman and his stats, I’m not one of those and I believe he’ll have a big season.
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Frank Clark
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Frank Clark came to K.C. in 2019 and helped K.C. win their first Super Bowl in 50 years. He signed a $104M contract with more than $62M guaranteed. That’s mainly what has had fans upset with him. When you consider that he’s averaged just 6.2 sacks per year since he’s been in K.C. you can see why some have been upset with him. Throw in a guns charge in California and some fans have written him off.
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With gun charges stemming from two separate events, some fans have categorized him as a gangster. This season, and offseason, Clark has given up Alcohol and red meat and lost a bunch of weight. Enough so that he is playing at his college weight and looks faster than he’s ever been. Andy Reid says Clark’s has not lost the power in his legs either, so he could end up have his best season ever.
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Orlando Brown Jr.
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Orlando Brown Jr. is playing the 2022 season on the franchise tag. Which means, K.C. is paying him $16,662,000, which is based upon an average of the top 5 salaries at his OT position. Although Brown did not play at a top five OT level in 2021, some fans, including me, have been upset with him for not signing the offer that Brett Veach laid out for him before the deadline ended which was: a 6-year, $139 million deal which included a $30.25 million signing bonus and $95 million in the first 5 seasons of the contract. Yes, I was not happy with the total amount of that offer, so I’m also happy Brown didn’t take the deal. However, I’ll be surprised if Brown doesn’t get a similar offer next offseason from Brett Veach… and he signs that deal. Although Brown has come into camp in the best shape of his life, his performance in Preseason Game one vs the Bears wasn’t stellar.
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When Brown said, “It’s not about money.” he didn’t ingratiate himself to Chiefs Kingdom. Brown finished 27th in the league according to PFF (Pro Football Focus) in sacks allowed in 2021. That’s not going to endear fans to him if that keeps up.
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RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire (CEH) was a 1st round draft pick by the Chiefs two years ago, in the 2020 NFL draft. If he was a third round pick, he’d likely still be thought down upon, and mostly because he’d be compared to Kareem Hunt, who was a third round pick by K.C. back in 2017. CEH has had the following production in his first two seasons: 803 yards rushing and 297 receiving yards for a totals of 1,100 yards his rookie year and then last season he only played in 10 games but had 517 rushing yards and 138 receiving yards for a total of 646 yards from scrimmage.
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While CEH faced a Covid offseason in his first year and didn’t get a full year last offseason due to injury, this offseason has been full-go and hands on (and masks off). Consequently, we could see the best CEH has to offer this year and it won;t come soon enough to many fans, including me.
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I’m sure that other teams have more players that fans love to hate than the Kansas City Chiefs. All of the Chiefs mentioned above, could fall off this list by season’s end… if they have the best years of their careers.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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