The conversation with Chiefs rookie safety Bryan Cook occurs in front of his locker half an hour after he celebrated a trip to Super Bowl LVII.
He nods along to the initial three questions in an interview, replying with extensive explanations to each. But when the fourth arrives, he feels the need to interrupt.
The rookies... the question begins.
“We’re not rookies anymore,” he interjects.
This is a point of emphasis inside the Chiefs locker room for nearly a month now. It’s factually wrong, of course, and it dismisses one of the more notable details of their playoff run — the Chiefs broke a franchise record with 10 rookies appearing in the AFC Championship Game, which equates to more than 20% of their game-day roster.
But there’s something to the notion Cook is trying put forth, and it’s illustrative of a bigger picture that has only recently become clear.
While it’s been frequently mentioned (specifically in this space) that the Chiefs’ offseason prioritized the long-term window over the short-term gains, we might have overlooked that the Chiefs made the same in-season priority.
Absorb the short-term pains — if it means long-term gains.
The front office built its future on draft capital when it sent Tyreek Hill to Miami, sure, but it also necessitated — demanded — those guys actually play.
Through the ups and downs.
Well, through the downs and then the ups.
It’s been a bumpy ride for the class to a Glendale, Arizona, destination that awaits in Super Bowl LVII against the Eagles, but the Chiefs roster didn’t allow for patience. Didn’t allow for alternative options. And that’s what prompted a relatively smooth landing last Sunday.
Rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson intercepted Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the first half. Rookie Joshua Williams got him in the second half — after Cook, another rookie, deflected a pass that he snatched out of the air. Rookie Trent McDuffie broke up two passes. Rookie George Karlaftis sacked Burrow once. Rookie Skyy Moore’s 29-yard punt return helped put the Chiefs in field goal range for Harrison Butker’s game-winning kick. Rookie Isiah Pacheco led the team in rushing, same as he did in the regular season.
Get the point?
And that’s just one game.
The Chiefs are not in the Super Bowl despite playing 10 rookies but rather in large part because of them. Yes, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was still quite good on a bum ankle, throwing for 326 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But re-read that list of rookie production.
How could any of us argue the Chiefs would be arriving in Glendale on Sunday without this group?
The Chiefs did more than hit on their accumulating draft picks, though it appears they did exactly that. They did more than transform their offseason to build around the draft, though they did exactly that, too.
The most critical part of the equation — the one we perhaps disregarded — is they stuck with the strategy even when the evidence suggested it was really hard to stick with it.
They constructed a depth chart that cornered themselves into needing production from their draft class. The selections were not merely bonuses to a team that had been a perennial Super Bowl contender — they would be essential pieces for a Super Bowl winner.
And inside the Chiefs facility, that never got lost in the shuffle.
The NFL is a business that requires a team with championship aspirations to move on from underachieving talents. To try the next guy. To sign or trade for another.
Instead, at some point before the season began, the Chiefs made an internal decision.
These are the guys we’re going to need in the postseason, so we’re going to have to live with the bumps along the way.
“We didn’t go into the offseason just throwing darts,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said. “We knew we had tough decisions to make, but at the same time, we put together a really good plan. And we trusted in our process. And we trusted in our coaching staff to build these young individuals.”
Even as that was tested. And it was.
Karlaftis had one sack through 10 games. His playing time never wavered. He’s responded with seven sacks in the ensuing nine games, including the postseason.
The Chiefs kept Moore fresh as a punt returner, despite all signs — even the player’s own words — telling them that idea was a lost cause this year. Then came the punt return Sunday. Watson and Williams took their turns interjecting some bright moments but also getting burned by some of the game’s elite wide receivers — Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen toasted Williams, for starters — and head coach Andy Reid’s response?
Basically a shoulder shrug.
“They’ll learn from it,” he said.
Those two, along with McDuffie, lined up against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and the Chiefs secondary still held Burrow under his season average in yards, yards per attempt, completion percentage and passer rating — despite Burrow attempting more passes than he does on a typical weekend.
The Chiefs cap situation put them at a crossroads in March. They picked the lane to win with the young guys — or don’t win at all. They didn’t allow room for much of a Plan C.
That they are still here — preparing for their third Super Bowl appearance in four seasons — is the product of individual improvement. But it’s equally a coaching staff win. Equally a front-office win.
And it’s what has helped to put the organization in line for its biggest win.
