Chiefs’ top offseason priority was obvious during Super Bowl 2021

Here’s something nobody expected: The Chiefs do not have to replace any coordinators after a second straight Super Bowl appearance.

For the third straight offseason, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy interviewed seemingly everywhere but wasn’t hired. He is expected to re-sign with the Chiefs since his contract expired after the Super Bowl. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo — expected to be one of the top second-chance candidates — didn’t gain the same interview traction as peers Todd Bowles (Buccaneers) and Leslie Frazier (Bills). Even special teams coordinator Dave Toub sometimes is mentioned as a future head coach.

With extensions for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones taken care of in recent months, the Chiefs can focus on refining an already loaded roster and getting the salary cap (projected to be $9 million over budget) in better shape.

Here are three offseason questions they need to answer:

1. Does the offensive line need a makeover?

The patchwork group playing in the Super Bowl included only two starters from the season opener, one of whom was out of position.

Left tackle Eric Fisher suffered a torn Achilles in the AFC Championship game and could miss the start of next season. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz also will be coming off a season-ending injury. Both will be on the wrong side of age 30 and in contract years.

Right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff and rookie Lucas Niang didn’t play a snap all season and could return rusty from COVID-19 opt-outs. Week 1 starters Andrew Wylie, Kelechi Osemele and Austin Reiter are free agents. So are backups Mike Remmers and Daniel Kilgore.

That’s a lot of uncertainty. The surest way to waste an incredible quarterback like Mahomes is to stick him behind a poor offensive line. That’s what doomed the Chiefs Sunday night in their 31-9 Super Bowl 2021 loss to the Buccaneers. Mahomes was constantly under pressure and scrambling to keep plays alive and getting sacked three times.

There was nothing the Chiefs could do to upgrade before Sunday, but new talent is needed to promote competition and depth to avoid another late-season situation panic.

2. Is the Sammy Watkins experiment over?

The Chiefs wanted the 6-foot-1 Watkins to be the physical receiver complementing speedsters Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman, as well as tight end Travis Kelce. It hasn’t worked.

The oft-injured Watkins has averaged 39.5 receiving yards per game with eight total touchdowns over three years with the Chiefs. He has one 1,000-yard season (2015) since he was drafted No. 4 overall in 2014 by the Bills. It was surprising when Watkins returned on a relatively cheap one-year, $9 million deal last season, but even that seems like an overpay now.

With a deep receiver market in free agency and the draft, the Chiefs should look for a more productive option to balance out the offense.

3. Too reliant on the secondary?

The Chiefs are a middle-of-the-pack defense when it comes to stopping the run (4.5 yards per carry) and generating sacks (32).

Jones and Frank Clark are good pass-rushers on the line, but adding another speed-rusher off the edge is high on the wish list. Spagnuolo’s schemes work best with a rotation of rushers.

A run-stuffing linebacker — especially if Anthony Hitchens becomes a salary cap casualty — is another important addition. Many of the Chiefs’ defensive stops are caused by a Tyrann Mathieu-led secondary, which created 16 interceptions. A risky bet to continue.