National Football League

Could Kansas City Chiefs miss playoffs this upcoming season?

Updated Apr. 5, 2022 7:32 p.m. ET

Next season's version of the Kansas City Chiefs will not be the same one fans saw competing in the AFC Championship Game in January.

Just months after losing the AFC title to the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City has seen its roster shift right from underneath it.

Center Austin Blythe, cornerback Charvarius Ward, and most recently superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill, have all departed, while All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu is currently visiting with a number of teams as he evaluates his own NFL future as a free agent.

One man who isn't going anywhere is Patrick Mahomes, whose long-term residency remains in Kansas City for the foreseeable future after he signed a 10-year, $450 million deal with the squad in 2021.

And though Mahomes himself has proven to be a consistent fixture amongst the league's top signal-callers, Hill's absence — along with K.C.'s other losses — has some worried about their durability as the new league year gets underway.

Kevin Wildes is one of those cynics. The "First Things First" cohost believes that making the postseason will be an uphill battle for the Chiefs without the presence of Hill in their lineup.

"Every other team in the AFC West got better, and the Chiefs got worse," Wildes said Tuesday.

"The Broncos, Raiders with Davante Adams, Chargers with J.C. Jackson, the Jaguars, who spent 100s of millions of dollars signing guys got better. Titans get Derrick Henry back, and the Super Bowl champs [Rams] just got better with Bobby Wagner. And the Bills got better, they signed Von Miller. I had a question mark on the Texans, the Colts got better, no more Carson Wentz, and the 49ers are usually pretty good. The Bengals just shored up their offensive line, so they'll be great."

The Chiefs will face just five teams that finished below .500 last season, and two of those tilts will be against the Broncos, who went 7-10 but acquired Russell Wilson this offseason.

In addition, Hill's loss, in particular, is a huge blow for K.C.

Since entering the league, the slippery speedster was second on the squad in target percentage (20.6%) and receptions (20.3%). He also led the squad in receiving TDs percentage (27.7%) and receptions (20.3%), while finishing first in receptions (111) and yards (1,239).

Still, naturally, Nick Wright wasn't on board with Wildes' take in the slightest.

"This schedule is incredibly difficult, but everyone in the AFC West has the same schedule except for three games. The difference is, those teams have to play the Chiefs, the favorites in the AFC West this year."

Mahomes and Chiefs face toughest schedule of 2022

With roster turnovers, including the loss of Tyreek Hill, and their challenging schedule, Nick Wright decides whether or not it's on the board for Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs to miss the playoffs this season.

The Chiefs will likely remain the AFC West favorites, despite their roster subtractions.

But it appears it will be up to Mahomes to keep the favoritism going.