During the 2020 NFL season, there will be an opportunity for every player to improve their situation. Often these players are looking to prove something about themselves each season, be it staying healthy or something performance-related. Sometimes this can be the difference between a lost season or a Super Bowl run since they have a little more to play for.
Here are five Kansas City Chiefs players that have something to prove this season:
RB Damien Williams
Williams might quickly be forgotten for his Super Bowl heroics if he doesn’t perform well this season. Following the upcoming season, the running back will be an unrestricted free agent and will be looking to get paid and be the featured running back. That likely won’t be with the Chiefs considering they drafted LSU star RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round. Williams will need to outplay the rookie, along with the rest of a competitive running back group if he wants the starting job in Kansas City and a payday at the end of the 2020 season.
DL Breeland Speaks
After being the Chiefs’ top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Speaks has struggled to find a role in the defense. The defensive end was unable to get much playing time his rookie year, playing out of position as an outside linebacker. He was finally moved back to his natural position, playing hand-in-the-dirt defensive lineman in 2019, but was injured in the preseason, missing the entire 2019 season and Super Bowl run. If Speaks continues to struggle to get on the field, especially early in training camp, he could be cut before the start of the season and remembered as a bust.
WR Sammy Watkins
After restructuring his contract this offseason, Watkins is looking to have a big season, in what looks like to be his final in Kansas City. Struggling to stay healthy for a whole season throughout his entire career, could have teams skeptical about giving him a large contract. It also doesn’t help that he has been the third or fourth option in the Chiefs’ high-powered offense. Watkins has made it clear this offseason that he wants more targets and to have a bigger role, so it will be interesting to see his performance as he tries to secure another big payday in 2021.
DE Taco Charlton
Steve Spagnuolo will be looking for Charlton to make an impact similar to what Emmanuel Ogbah had in 2019, recording 5.5 sacks before missing the rest of the season due to injury. Similar to Ogbah, Charlton was a high draft pick who struggled to make an impact with the team he was drafted to (Dallas Cowboys). Hopefully, the change of scenery will work for the former first-round draft pick to get him back on track to the dominant player he was projected to be when he was drafted in 2017.
WR Mecole Hardman
Hardman had a successful rookie year catching six touchdowns and being selected to the Pro Bowl as a kick returner, but Kansas City will be expecting him to be more of an impact player on offense moving forward. Hardman is still considered a gadget player of sorts, just like Tyreek Hill was early in his career. He’ll be looking to prove that he’s the full package at the wide receiver position. It may be hard for him to get more playing time in the offense with all the talent the Chiefs have at wide receiver, but if he can gain Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes’ trust, he can quickly ascend to the No. 2 receiver spot and perhaps become one of the top receivers in the NFL.
