Give credit where credit is due.
For years now, Andy Reid has been well ahead of his time from a schematic standpoint. The Kansas City Chiefs head coach often moves to the beat of his own drum and implements some offensive elements that the NFL has never seen before. In a copycat league, Reid has largely remained himself. But, as the league has eased out some positions in recent years, it seems like Reid—and the Chiefs—are finally following suit.
The Chiefs elected not to bring back fullback Michael Burton, who was a fixture in Kansas City’s offense for the past two seasons. Reid recently spoke about that particular decision and why they allowed Burton to leave for a fellow AFC West team in the Denver Broncos.
“The tight ends can work into that spot,” Reid said, via the Kansas City Star. “We know Noah [Gray] can do all of that, and that’s kind of where we went with it. We’ve got a number of tight ends that we feel comfortable with, so maybe you keep an extra tight end as opposed to that fullback.”
According to Pro Football Talk, Reid recently went on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce and alluded to the fact the NFL was easing the fullback position out of the game.
So, the Chiefs will likely carry four tight ends going into the 2023 season, which has become a common practice in the NFL in recent years. And now we know why. As the Chiefs are amid their offseason workout program, the team is currently carrying six tight ends and zero fullbacks on its active roster.
Perhaps that points to an offensive innovator changing with the times, whether he wants to or not. And as long as the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, a fullback isn’t going to be their primary concern offensively.
[Kansas City Star, Pro Football Talk]
