Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs Face a Critical Trade Deadline as Kansas City Weighs Its Next Move (Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs are 6-2, yet the roster still has holes to fix before the NFL trade deadline hits at 4 p.m. A 6-2 record reads like a Super Bowl résumé. Deals must reach the league office by 4 p.m. ET, which is 3 p.m. at Arrowhead.
Kansas City lost to two teams viewed as contenders, and the roster has gaps that wins can hide for only so long. Some moves could still be reported after the cutoff. Once it passes, released vested veterans go through waivers instead of straight to free agency.
Head coach Andy Reid says he and Veach started trade talks about a month ago. Two recent losses to contenders have muddied the picture. Injuries have thinned the receiver group, and the tackle spots look shaky. General manager Brett Veach has almost no cap space but a healthy stash of draft picks. What happens in the next few hours could decide how high this team can climb. The film tells a messier story. A trade could settle the debate over what this team really is. Standing pat would send a message too, that the front office trusts what it already has. The free agent market looks bare, so a trade is the likeliest route unless the team brings back Tyreek Hill. A star is more of an offseason project. The middle ground has long been Josh Downs of the Indianapolis Colts. He would not save the season alone, but he could keep the offense from stalling.
ET on Tuesday.