The Kansas City Chiefs have made strides on defense over the last several weeks, but their lack of additions on the offensive side of the football, particularly with regards to pass-catchers, has left prominent NFL analysts puzzled.
Mina Kimes and Bill Barnwell of ESPN are among them and recently discussed the team’s remaining needs at wide receiver and tight end. While Kimes pushed hard for Jauan Jennings, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings shortly after her mid-week show/podcast aired, Barnwell was more perplexed by the Chiefs’ choice not to add a tight end despite an extensive run on the position in the recent draft.
“I was more surprised about the tight ends. Not only because of the number of tight ends who were available, but just sort of wondering what this offense does, how it transforms if there is any major change,” Barnwell said. “No. 1 because Patrick Mahomes is hurt to begin the year, we’re probably gonna see Justin Fields. And No. 2 because the league has evolved. This offense is no longer a cutting-edge offense.”
Barnwell was referencing, in part, a shift to more 13 personnel (three-tight end sets) that became evident last year with franchises copying the success of head coach Sean McVay and the Los Angles Rams.
“Not that they have to follow where the league is going, but just with [running back] Kenneth Walker coming in, it felt like a natural transition,” Barnwell continued. “I would even say like a David Njoku, I am kind of surprised they have not reached out to [him] and been like, ‘Hey let’s bring in another veteran tight end who we can play in-line.’”
David Njoku Sensible Acquisition for Chiefs Regardless of Where Offense Goes in Upcoming Year
GettyFormer Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku.
Running more three-TE personnel groupings doesn’t need to be a focus of Kansas City’s offense in 2026 to render Njoku a value addition. Even jumping into more 12 personnel (two tight ends on the field simultaneously) would make acquiring a player like Njoku sensible.
Lining up another blocker and focusing on creating a more explosive run dynamic is a notion that tracks with what the Chiefs have already done this offseason personnel-wise and what their roster is suited for given Walker’s talent behind the talent along the offensive line.
Travis Kelce and Njoku on either side of the line or Njoku in-line and Kelce split wide as simple formation structures can help disguise what is actually coming by improving run-game probabilities via an extra blocker while also keeping four or five players on the field capable of functioning as high-level pass-catchers (2 TEs, 1 RB and 1-2 WRs).
That would also allow for the Chiefs to limit the need of multiple-WR sets, as that position group is one of the roster’s current weakness and also carries with it perhaps the most question marks.
Chiefs Will Need to Replace Travis Kelce as Soon as Next Season
GettyKansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
It’s fair to expect Kelce will walk away from the league after this season. He’d been to three Super Bowls in a row, and won two of his three rings, over a three-year stretch prior to last season’s 6-11 letdown.
A high-profile future Hall of Famer, it tracks that Kelce returned for his 14th season to end on a higher note. But he isn’t the same player he was several years ago now heading into his late 30s and his 14th professional campaign.
Kansas City needs a No. 1 target at TE after Kelce retires, and Njoku is a former Pro Bowler (2023) with 384 catches, 4,062 yards and 34 TDs across 118 games played (88 starts).
Spotrac projects Njoku’s market value at $20 million total over a new two-year deal following a four-year contract with the Cleveland Browns that paid him almost $55 million.
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