The Kansas City Chiefs will look to improve their roster during the 2022 NFL offseason and one area that is expected to see some turnover is the defensive secondary. Three cornerbacks who played at least 200 defensive snaps for the Chiefs in 2021 are pending free agents for the upcoming season. One of those cornerbacks was a May trade acquisition by Kansas City.
The Chiefs acquired Mike Hughes (and a seventh-round pick) from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He was a player that had been on the team’s radar dating back to the 2018 NFL draft when he was just a prospect at UCF. They attended the UCF pro day and brought him in for a top-30 visit.
Hughes was admittedly a bit of a reclamation project when the team acquired him. Injuries had stunted his development with a torn ACL hampering his 2019 season and a neck injury causing him to play just four games in 2020. The Chiefs got a chance to see what Hughes was capable of in 2021, but he wasn’t consistent throughout the course of the season
Hughes appeared in 17 games with five starts for Kansas City, playing over 500 defensive snaps (the 14th most of any Chiefs defender this season). He started off Week 1 with a bang, securing the game-winning interception over the Cleveland Browns. Hughes would continue playing a rotational role on defense until he earned his first start in Week 4.
Beginning in Week 7, Hughes’ role began to shift in Kansas City. The cornerback group was healthier than it had been and Hughes took a back seat on defense. He was challenged facing some bigger wide receivers at times. By December, his role began to shift toward special teams, replacing Mecole Hardman as the team’s starting punt returner. That didn’t last for long, though.
Hughes started four consecutive games on defense beginning in Week 13. In Week 14, he stepped in for CB L’Jarius Sneed and had the game of his life against the Las Vegas Raiders. He recovered a fumble for a 23-yard touchdown and forced two fumbles of his own in addition to leading the team with nine tackles. The performance earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
There’s certainly an argument to be made that Hughes should be back with the Chiefs in 2022. He had one of his best years as a professional, even if advanced analytics didn’t favor him. There are at least two games that you can point to (Week 1 and Week 14) where Hughes had a direct impact on the outcome of the game.
If the Chiefs are forced to choose between Hughes and Charvarius Ward, for instance, the choice is clear. If Ward is out of the picture and Hughes is willing to return on an affordable contract, it might be wise to try and build on the season he had in 2021.
