Ever since Andy Reid arrived in Kansas City in 2013 they have been a threat to topple the Patriots and make the Super Bowl, but despite a 65-31 record in his time there it is yet to happen.
2019 may be their best chance yet, with the ridiculously talented Patrick Mahomes under center and a bevy of exceptional players around him the Chiefs are on the hunt for their first championship since they claimed Super Bowl IV in January 1970.
Can you take over on Madden 20 and lead this roster to the ultimate success?
Team Rating
The Chiefs come into Madden 20 with a very underrated 78 OVR, which puts them 11th and tied with two other teams.
This is made up of a high 83 score on offense, which is the 6th best but tied with 5 others, and a low 75 defense score. That defense is weighing down the whole OVR as there are just 3 teams with a worse score, but the offense is also massively underrated for the stars that they have on that side of the ball...
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Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback (97 OVR)
Age: 23
Development Trait: Superstar X-Factor
Contract: 2 years/$9.7 million
2019 Cap Hit: $4.88 million
Best Stats: Throw Under Pressure (97), Throw On Run (97), Throw Power (96), Short Accuracy (94), Deep Accuracy (94), Medium Accuracy (93), Awareness (92)
Patrick Mahomes was a first-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017, but he sat for almost all of his rookie year, watching and learning. He played the final game of the regular season and showed glimpses of what he could do. The Chiefs made the decision to promote Mahomes to starter for the 2018 season and were immediately rewarded. Mahomes became just the 3rd QB in NFL history to throw for 50 touchdowns in a season as he walked to MVP honors, but it wasn't quite enough to beat the Patriots either in the regular season or playoffs.
In Madden 20 Mahomes is the highest rated quarterback and one of the best offensive weapons the Madden franchise has ever produced. His ability to get the ball out under pressure (97) and on the run (97) is combined with a rocket arm (96) and superb accuracy (94 short, 93 medium, 94 deep). Paired with good acceleration (87) and speed (81) and stopping Mahomes is nearly impossible.
Travis Kelce, Tight End (96 OVR)
Age: 29
Development Trait: Superstar X-Factor
Contract: 3 years/$32.3 million
2019 Cap Hit: $11.1 million
Best Stats: Awareness (99), Catching (93), Catch In Traffic (92), Short Route (88), Acceleration (88) Medium Route (86), Speed (85)
Travis Kelce was a third-round pick for the Chiefs in 2013 and didn't make a catch as a rookie, but in 2014 he pulled in 67 catches for 862 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 2016 he broke out with a monster 1,125 yards and has since become the premier pass catching tight end, with three-straight 1,000+ yard seasons and two First Team All-Pro awards.
Kelce is the top-rated tight end in Madden 20. His route running (88 short, 86 medium) is paired with amazing catching (93) and catch in traffic (92) to make him an elite threat.
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Chris Jones, Defensive Tackle (89 OVR)
Age: 25
Development Trait: Star
Contract: 1 year/$1.98 million
2019 Cap Hit: $1.98 million
Best Stats: Awareness (95), Play Recognition (92), Power Moves (92), Strength (91), Tackle (86), Acceleration (85), Finesse Moves (83), Block Shed (83)
A second-round pick for the Chiefs in 2016, Chris Jones has quickly become the heart at the middle of the Chiefs defense. Jones has been developing into a quality all-round player and in 2018 racked up 15.5 sacks, 29 QB hits, and 19 tackles for loss.
Jones is a superb player in Madden 20. He has excellent power moves (92) and strength (91), which combines with strong awareness (95) and play recognition (92) to create a disruptive and destructive player.
Kendall Fuller, Cornerback (88 OVR)
Age: 24
Development Trait: Star
Contract: 1 year/$2.05 million
2019 Cap Hit: $2.05 million
Best Stats: Acceleration (92), Play Recognition (91), Speed (90), Man Coverage (90), Agility (90), Jumping (87), Zone Coverage (86)
Kendall Fuller was a third-round pick in 2016 for the Washington Redskins who came to Kansas City in the Alex Smith trade prior to the 2018 season. Fuller has developed into a well-rounded corner who can excel in the slot. In 2018 he had 2 interceptions, 12 deflections, and a forced fumble.
Fuller is a terrific corner in Madden 20. He has good acceleration (92) and speed (90), along with strong play recognition (91) and excellent coverage skills (90 man, 86 zone).
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Full Roster & Depth Chart
QB | OVR | SPD | THP | SAC | MAC | DAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patrick Mahomes | 97 | 81 | 96 | 94 | 93 | 94 |
Matt Moore | 61 | 62 | 79 | 85 | 75 | 77 |
Chad Henne | 58 | 65 | 79 | 79 | 74 | 72 |
HB | OVR | SPD | CAR | SFA | ELU | JKM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LeSean McCoy | 82 | 89 | 87 | 65 | 82 | 90 |
Damien Williams | 80 | 90 | 84 | 74 | 82 | 88 |
Darwin Thompson | 66 | 89 | 86 | 70 | 75 | 79 |
Darrel Williams | 63 | 83 | 89 | 80 | 72 | 79 |
FB | OVR | SPD | CAR | RBK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthony Sherman | 77 | 78 | 72 | 69 |
WR | OVR | SPD | CTH | SRR | MRR | DRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tyreek Hill | 94 | 99 | 90 | 90 | 88 | 96 |
Sammy Watkins | 82 | 91 | 87 | 83 | 85 | 83 |
Demarcus Robinson | 74 | 88 | 80 | 75 | 74 | 79 |
Mecole Hardman | 70 | 95 | 80 | 72 | 73 | 74 |
De’Anthony Thomas | 68 | 91 | 78 | 75 | 71 | 66 |
Byron Pringle | 66 | 91 | 79 | 75 | 71 | 70 |
Gehrig Dieter | 65 | 86 | 82 | 68 | 65 | 62 |
Marcus Kemp | 62 | 88 | 79 | 65 | 65 | 64 |
TE | OVR | SPD | CTH | SRR | RBK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Travis Kelce | 96 | 85 | 93 | 88 | 65 |
David Wells | 67 | 81 | 75 | 57 | 70 |
Blake Bell | 64 | 78 | 74 | 53 | 60 |
Deon Yelder | 64 | 80 | 74 | 63 | 59 |
James Winchester | 41 | 84 | 60 | 42 | 47 |
OL | OVR | PBK | RBK | LBK | IBL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mitchell Schwartz | 91 | 95 | 82 | 81 | 85 |
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif | 78 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 84 |
Eric Fisher | 74 | 74 | 77 | 83 | 81 |
Jeff Allen | 66 | 69 | 66 | 83 | 82 |
Andrew Wylie | 66 | 72 | 67 | 77 | 80 |
Cameron Erving | 65 | 70 | 68 | 81 | 82 |
Martinas Rankin | 61 | 66 | 71 | 86 | 83 |
Austin Reiter | 58 | 62 | 67 | 75 | 77 |
Nick Allegretti | 58 | 67 | 65 | 74 | 77 |
Ryan Hunter | 55 | 61 | 61 | 76 | 79 |
DE | OVR | SPD | STR | PMV | FMV | BSH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frank Clark | 83 | 84 | 88 | 88 | 81 | 63 |
Alex Okafor | 76 | 74 | 79 | 81 | 66 | 76 |
Emmanuel Ogbah | 76 | 85 | 79 | 76 | 65 | 71 |
Breeland Speaks | 72 | 79 | 83 | 69 | 76 | 77 |
Tanoh Kpassagnon | 68 | 79 | 82 | 70 | 61 | 57 |
DT | OVR | SPD | STR | PMV | FMV | BSH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chris Jones | 89 | 71 | 91 | 92 | 83 | 83 |
Derrick Nnadi | 76 | 63 | 87 | 72 | 60 | 83 |
Xavier Williams | 71 | 62 | 86 | 77 | 55 | 74 |
Khalen Saunders | 70 | 73 | 84 | 67 | 73 | 73 |
Joey Ivie | 63 | 68 | 80 | 56 | 68 | 72 |
OLB | OVR | SPD | TAK | POW | MCV | ZCV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthony Hitchens | 77 | 82 | 84 | 87 | 62 | 51 |
Darron Lee | 74 | 87 | 82 | 85 | 53 | 64 |
Damien Wilson | 70 | 81 | 79 | 83 | 45 | 52 |
Dorian O’Daniel | 69 | 85 | 81 | 85 | 62 | 67 |
MLB | OVR | SPD | TAK | BSH | MCV | ZCV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reggie Ragland | 73 | 82 | 78 | 83 | 48 | 58 |
Ben Niemann | 60 | 81 | 80 | 64 | 48 | 57 |
CB | OVR | SPD | MCV | ZCV | PRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kendall Fuller | 88 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 80 |
Morris Claiborne | 76 | 89 | 78 | 75 | 81 |
Bashaud Breeland | 74 | 87 | 72 | 78 | 79 |
Charvarius Ward | 67 | 91 | 70 | 66 | 74 |
Keith Reaser | 65 | 89 | 67 | 62 | 65 |
Tremon Smith | 65 | 93 | 62 | 65 | 73 |
Rashad Fenton | 62 | 88 | 62 | 65 | 71 |
FS | OVR | SPD | PRC | ZCV | TAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daniel Sorensen | 70 | 81 | 78 | 72 | 64 |
Juan Thornhill | 69 | 89 | 64 | 72 | 70 |
SS | OVR | SPD | PRC | ZCV | TAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tyrann Mathieu | 87 | 90 | 83 | 83 | 74 |
Jordan Lucas | 69 | 91 | 60 | 72 | 68 |
Armani Watts | 63 | 85 | 59 | 74 | 69 |
K | OVR | KPW | KAC |
|---|---|---|---|
Harrison Butker | 79 | 93 | 84 |
P | OVR | KPW | KAC |
|---|---|---|---|
Dustin Colquitt | 82 | 89 | 92 |
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The Chiefs roster may not get a great OVR from Madden 20, but it is full of talent and could well be the best in the game.
Patrick Mahomes (96 throw power, 94 deep accuracy) is an absolute star and his weapons are superb. Tyreek Hill (99 speed, 99 acceleration) is the fastest player in the game while Travis Kelce () is the best tight end around.
The running back duo of LeSean McCoy (92 acceleration, 90 juke move) and Damien Williams (90 speed, 80 catching) is a solid combination while Sammy Watkins (91 speed, 87 spectacular catch) and rookie Mecole Hardman (95 speed, 86 jumping) offer excellent secondary targets.
The offensive line is the weakness of the unit. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz (95 pass block, 82 run block) is a star, but there are big holes at left guard and center that need to be addressed quickly.
Defensively the Chiefs are less strong, but there are a few stars dotted around. Chris Jones (92 power moves, 91 strength) is a special defensive tackle while Kendall Fuller (90 man cover, 90 speed) and Tyrann Mathieu (85 man cover, 83 zone cover) roam the secondary looking for turnovers.
Frank Clark (90 acceleration, 88 power moves) provides the pass rush while Reggie Ragland (88 hit power, 83 block shed) is the enforcer in the middle and Darron Lee (87 speed, 82 tackle) is a superb user linebacker.
Morris Claiborne (89 speed, 78 man cover) & Bashaud Breeland (90 acceleration, 78 zone cover) are useful cornerbacks.
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Salary Cap
The Kansas City Chiefs come into Madden 20's franchise mode with $47.6 million in cap space. They start the preseason with 55 players on the roster, so you only have to cut 2 which means you aren't likely to create any more space.
However, that is plenty of cap space to make a trade or add a free agent to improve the team immediately. Just be sure to keep enough back to sign those key players who are about to be free agents.
Impending Free Agents
The Chiefs have 26 players entering the final year of their contract when you start franchise mode. That is a half the roster, and there are several very good players that need re-signing including Chris Jones and Kendall Fuller who we have already discussed. Just be sure to leave a nest egg behind because Patrick Mahomes will need a new contract after season 2.
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Tyreek Hill, Wide Receiver (94 OVR)
As the fastest player in the game, Tyreek Hill is a threat to score every time he touches the ball and it is very difficult to put a price on that. He is irreplaceable and thanks to Mahomes' arm strength his pace can be put to good use with the Chiefs.
Behind all his incredible athleticism is a good skill set that includes excellent deep route running (96), catching (90), and jumping (93). He should be your priority to re-sign along with Chris Jones and Kendall Fuller.
Morris Claiborne, Cornerback (76 OVR)
Morris Claiborne isn't an excellent #2 cornerback, but with 4 of the Chiefs' top 5 corners entering free agency you have to hold on to Claiborne to partner with Fuller or take the slot role after you draft someone else.
Claiborne has good speed (89) and is solid in man coverage (78) but it is not as high as you'd want for an outside corner.
Emmanuel Ogbah, Defensive End (76 OVR)
Frank Clark and Chris Jones can't provide all the pass rush by themselves. Emmanuel Ogbah is a very solid edge player and can be extremely useful in the Chiefs defensive line rotation.
He has good acceleration (88) and tackling (81). His strength (79) and power moves (76) are ok but not great, but at 25 Ogbah can improve.
Darron Lee, Outside Linebacker (74 OVR)
Darron Lee is one of the most underrated players in Madden, but even if he wasn't you'd still want to keep him. The Chiefs linebackers are not great across the board, but Lee is one you should hang on to as you improve the position.
His speed (87) puts him among the elite athletes of off-ball linebackers and he has the hit power (85) to cause fumbles. If you use him his lower play recognition (78) doesn't matter as much and at 24 years old he can improve massively.
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Roster Needs
The priority for the Chiefs is to get better along the offensive line. The left guard and center spots are terrible and will hurt you trying to run the ball. It can also lead to Mahomes taking more hits and getting injured which is the last thing you want, so don't hesitate to make those moves.
After that you need some improvements at linebacker and generally more depth across the defense. Chris Jones and Frank Clark are strong defensive linemen and Kendall Fuller is a good corner, but beyond that there isn't much.
This should be how you spend your top draft choice after season 1. There are often good pass rushers and corners around that can be grabbed while you can take a guard in round 2.
The Chiefs have plenty of quality and depth at offensive skill positions, but another running back would be useful. Fortunately they are plentiful in nearly every draft class so you don't have to take one high.