The 2023 NFL Season is here, and the Music City Drive In is getting you ready. Check back each day from now until September 3 as we look at each team and make award and playoff predictions. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments.

The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2022 season with plenty of questions, especially on offense. The team saw star receiver Tyreek Hill head to the Miami Dolphins and didn’t have a lot of locks to replace him. And yet, the team thrived. The Chiefs won the AFC West again and made it back to the Super Bowl, winning the whole thing.

The question in 2023 is whether they can do it again, coming into yet another season where their top wide receiver left via free agency.

Off-Season Changes

The Chiefs lost a few key players from the 2022 squad. Juju Smith-Schuster, who led the wide receiver group with 78 receptions, headed to the New England Patriots. Fellow receiver Mecole Hardman left the team to head to the New York Jets, while left tackle Orlando Brown signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Closer to home, pass rusher Frank Clark left and signed with the rival Denver Broncos.

But it wasn’t a one-way path for the Chiefs. The team was able to snag a new right tackle in Jawaan Taylor, a new left tackle in Donovan Smith and welcomed a new backup quarterback in Blaine Gabbert after long-time backup Chad Henne retired.

In the draft, the Chiefs worked on the defense by taking pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The team also re-loaded at receiver, snagging Rashee Rice. In 2022, Rice caught 96 passes for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns. He gives Patrick Mahomes another weapon.

Fantasy Impact

Mahomes went into a season with uncertainty and finished as QB1 in 2022. He’ll be just fine and is a lock as a Top 5 option. The backfield has more questions. The Chiefs found something down the stretch with rookie Isaih Pacheco and veteran Jerrick McKinnon. Both are back and figure to split the work again. Pacheco rushed for 830 yards and nearly five yards per carry. He is the pounder. McKinnon caught 56 passes for 912 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished as RB24. Both have RB2 upside, but I like McKinnon filling a niche role.

At receiver, there’s more questions. Juju and Hardman are gone. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is back. In his first year with the Chiefs, he caught 42 passes for 687 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs also have young receivers in second-year man Skyy Moore and third-year man Kadarius Toney, a former First Round pick who was acquired mid-season. The knock on Toney is health, which has already reared its head this off-season. The Chiefs also have Rice and journeyman Ritchie James. Someone will provide value in this group, but I’m not confident in anyone as more than a WR4/flex option right now. If I’m betting, I’m still not giving up on Moore in year two.

There are no questions at tight end, where Travis Kelce is a beast. He is the Chiefs’ best receiver, catching 110 passes for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns on a team-leading 152 targets in 2022. He finished as TE1 and is a good bet to do the same in 2023.

Prediction

The Chiefs have been winners with Andy Reid and Mahomes, and I see no reason why that won’t continue. I think this team is a strong bet to win the AFC West again and earn themselves a solid seed. I suspect they’ll make a deep playoff run and could be a contender to win back-to-back titles.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.