It’s been an eventful offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs, to say the very least.
Almost immediately after winning their second Super Bowl in a row, a damper was put on the celebration, as a shooting during their victory parade resulted in the death of one person and injuries to several more.
Not long after that, the NFL Players Association released their annual report cards on workplace conditions, and the Chiefs — despite their success on the field — were deemed one of the worst organizations in the league. Notably, they were the only team to receive an F- in the ownership category.
This leads us to the next issue hanging over the Chiefs: funding for a new stadium and practice facilities. While owner Clark Hunt is worth around $1.5B (and the entire Hunt family is worth about $25B), the team wants taxpayers to pony up millions in the form of increased sales taxes. And since voters in Missouri rejected this, it’s possible that the Chiefs will move across the border to Kansas.
While these distractions may be ancillary, there have been many incidents over the last several months that could have a direct impact on what the Chiefs do on the field this season.
In March, wide receiver Rashee Rice was arrested for his involvement in a six-car crash that injured seven people in Dallas, and he’s facing several charges. He is also being investigated for an assault in a Dallas nightclub that took place in May.
Rice is far from the only member of the team who has had a run-in with the law this offseason. Offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Chukwuebuka Godrick were arrested in May for misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
That same month, defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs turned himself in on misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. He was then arrested a few weeks later on a domestic violence/burglary charge.
Finally, there’s kicker Harrison Butker, who used his time as a commencement speaker at Benedictine College not so much to offer words of wisdom or motivation to the new graduates, but to rail against a whole host of things he seems to believe are plaguing society. These included abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. He also said that the women graduating should consider focusing more on being wives and mothers instead of pursuing careers.
The speech was so caustic that even the nuns at the school released a statement condemning it.
A couple of these incidents may not have much of an impact on a talented football team. But, when combined, they could put the Chiefs' three-peat chances in real jeopardy.
