Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark in 2021.
In 2022, Kansas City Chiefs fans bid farewell to Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu, among others. In 2023, it’s Frank Clark who headlines the departures from a sentimental perspective.
Clark wasn’t always beloved in KC — never quite living up to his contract during the regular season — but his playoff impact over two Super Bowl runs was enough to win over the majority of Chiefs Kingdom by the end of his tenure with the team. His leadership in those moments even turned him into a bit of a cult hero among supporters and for “the Shark,” the feeling was mutual.
“The Chiefs, that’s a first-class organization,” Clark told CBS Sports insider Josina Anderson on her show, “Undefined,” after joining the Denver Broncos in free agency. The veteran also revealed that he got the sense the Kansas City front office wasn’t going to prioritize a reunion with him throughout the 2023 offseason, which he holds no grudges over.
“I enjoyed my time in KC,” Clark explained. “I enjoyed the relationship — like I said — that I built with everybody. There’s no hard feelings toward nobody in that building. But it was just time to move on. Time for new beginnings.”
Ex-Chiefs’ Frank Clark Believes Sean Payton Can Turn Around Broncos ‘in a Heartbeat’
As for those “new beginnings” Clark referenced, they’ll start in Denver with one of the Chiefs oldest rivals.
The Broncos have not won the AFC West since Peyton Manning’s Super Bowl run in 2015. Clark believes new head coach Sean Payton can change that, however.
“You can say what you want about their record and stuff like that but if you know football, if you understand it like [Russell Wilson and I] do, that’s the type of team that can turn it around in a heartbeat,” Clark voiced to Anderson. “I’ve seen it and I know it. They just need to add a few pieces to get the job done and I feel like they’re doing the right thing adding me.”
As mentioned above, Clark’s postseason impact will surely be welcomed in Denver, but will Payton and Wilson get the Broncos that far? Will Clark?
The AFC is more difficult than ever in 2023, with championship contenders all over the place. The Chiefs are still king, but the Broncos are exactly close to touching the throne, let alone unseating it.
They’ll have to compete with teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and more for that honor. That’s a long way to go in one season — which is the contract length Clark signed for in Denver.
Broncos HC Sean Payton Has the Resume to Win
It may not happen overnight — as Clark suggested — but there’s no doubt Coach Payton has the resume to eventually win in Denver.
Payton earned his first head coaching position in New Orleans with the Saints in 2006 (age 43). He only went 152-89 over the next 15 years, which yielded a win percentage of .631. That mark is tied for 23rd all-time, and ranks sixth among active coaches behind Matt LaFleur, Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Sean McDermott and Mike Tomlin.
His playoff record wasn’t as strong in NOLA, at 9-8 all-time, but he was easily one of the best in the NFL at getting there — as was his new quarterback during his prime.
It’ll be interesting to see how Payton and Wilson mesh under this new regime in Denver. If the combination doesn’t work out, what they gave up in acquiring both will surely set the Broncos organization back several years.
