The Kansas City Chiefs aren't in the playoffs for the first time ever in the Patrick Mahomes era, and that puts the pressure on Brett Veach to do his job well.
Brett Veach has been one of the best general managers in the NFL, as he has been a huge part of the Kansas City Chiefs winning three Super Bowls and going to five since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback.
However, the dynasty got put on hold this season, as the Chiefs finished with a 6-11 record that is the worst for the team since Andy Reid became the coach.
To make matters worse, Mahomes tore his ACL late in the season against the Los Angeles Chargers and he may not be ready to go for the Chiefs in next year's opener.
Obviously, the health of Mahomes is going to be the biggest determining factor on whether or not the team is contending next year. However, make no mistake about it, Veach and the Chiefs are feeling more pressure than they have in a long time.
Besides Mahomes' health, another big question is whether or not tight end Travis Kelce will be back. Right now, he is looked at as 50/50 to return, and he was noncommittal after the game against the Raiders on Sunday.
Arugably the best pick that Veach has made during his time as the GM in Kansas City is when he took Trent McDuffie with the No. 21 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
McDuffie has quickly become one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL, but he is up for what figures to be a big contract. However, with the Chiefs in a tricky spot when it comes to the salary spot, they could be inclined to trade McDuffie and bring back draft picks.
Two of the biggest weaknesses this year for the Chiefs was running the ball, as well as getting after the quarterback.
George Karlaftis led the team with only six sacks, while Kareem Hunt finished with 611 rushing yards.
The Chiefs have the No. 9 pick in the upcoming draft, and there figures to be star potential at both of their two biggest weaknesses.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love was as big of home run threat as there was in college football, with some NFL people thinking he could be a top RB in the league.
Defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. has been a menace all season long for Miami, and is a big reason why the Hurricanes are in the CFP.
Chiefs Kingdom has been very loud and vocal about wanting Love to be their pick, but that would force the Chiefs to change how they are looking to play on offense. As long as Andy Reid is the coach, the Chiefs are going to rely on the passing attack, especially when Mahomes is back healthy.
The team could also be looking for new coordinators, as both Matt Nagy and Steve Spagnuolo are interviewing for head coaching positions.
Veach has done a pretty good job during his time at bringing in the right pieces to help the team compete for a championship. However, this season showed the team had bigger weaknesses than they thought the past couple of seasons.
With the Chiefs moving out of Arrowhead in the next few years, Veach is looking at an off-season that could impact the team's future for the next 20 years.