Kansas City Chiefs veteran defensive end Frank Clark has taken quite a bit of flak from fans since joining the team in 2019, but head coach Andy Reid seemed content with his contributions in comments made during the team’s Wednesday media availability session.
Clark secured a sack in the AFC divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars, moving into a tie with Hall of Famer Reggie White for the fourth-most sacks in NFL postseason history. Asked about Clark’s spot in the top five on the NFL’s all-time postseason sacks leaderboard, Reid told reporters that he recognizes the edge that the lineman brings to the Chiefs’ defense, especially in the postseason.
“He’s always fired up but he – I guess there’s a little something extra there that he has but he’s a relentless player all the time,” Reid explained. “His numbers speak for themselves throughout his career. It’s quite a record – or opportunity for a record there with the sacks in the playoffs. You’ve got to get there first to get them, right? And, so he’s had a lot of opportunities to do that when he was in Seattle and now here.”
Clark will need to put together a masterful performance this weekend to help Kansas City get an elusive win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game, which would give the Chiefs their third Super Bowl berth in four years. He was sick during the Week 13 matchup with the Bengals and was unable to muster a single sack.
If Clark can hassle Joe Burrow in the pocket or create openings for other linemen and linebackers to get into Cincinnati’s backfield, his contributions could prove to be game-breaking advantages for the Chiefs with their season on the line.
