Kansas City Chiefs Will Need To Overcome Offseason Full of Distractions

Remember when Travis Kelce started dating Taylor Swift? 

It feels like a lifetime ago for the Kansas City Chiefs, where some fans believed that the relationship would be some sort of a distraction. How quickly things can change.

Less than one year later, the Chiefs have actual distractions on their hands. They have players in legal trouble, a kicker giving controversial commencement speeches, and their superstar quarterback is launching a coffee brand.

Players and coaches will always say that on Sundays, they can always tune out the noise and focus on the game at hand. That’s probably especially true when your coach is Andy Reid and your quarterback is Patrick Mahomes. However, you have to wonder if the accumulation of distractions will become too much to overcome.

Rashee Rice, who emerged as Kansas City’s best receiver last year, is facing one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, one count of aggravated assault, and six counts of collision causing injury stemming from a major car wreck where the receiver fled the scene. 

Separately, Rice is also under investigation for an alleged assault at a Dallas nightclub earlier this month.

These charges could result in up to five years of jail time if Rice is found guilty. He could also be suspended by the NFL for several games. 

On top of Rice’s shenanigans, kicker Harrison Butker went viral and headlined news for controversial comments made about gender roles during a commencement speech at Benedictine College. Butker found himself in the news more than any kicker ever has as a result of his politically and religiously charged opinions shared during the speech.

Not only is Butker Kansas City’s ultra-reliable kicker, but he’s one of the best in the NFL. While he won’t face a suspension for speaking his beliefs, you have to wonder if the backlash and criticism could creep into his head at one of the most challenging positions in professional sports.

Most recently, Chiefs offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Chukwuebuka Godrick were arrested in Johnson County on Thursday night for possession of marijuana, which is illegal in Kansas. 

This is just a misdemeanor charge, and they were released on bond on Friday. However, it’s another incident on the CVS receipt long list of issues that the Chiefs have had this offseason.

On top of all of this, receiver Xavier Worthy was welcomed to Kansas City by his car getting stolen during rookie minicamp. While that isn’t his fault, it stinks nonetheless.

The Chiefs will need to regroup and focus up on their quest to win three straight Super Bowls.

This AFC is no joke. Aaron Rodgers will be back and healthy for the Jets. The Steelers added Russell Wilson. The Browns are getting Deshaun Watson back.

And everyone knows just how good Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen can be. 

So for now, put down the weed, stop racing cars, no more commencement speeches, and focus on doing something that nobody else has ever done before: win three straight Lombardi trophies.