Right here’s a startling thought: What if the Chiefs’ dynasty isn’t but on the midway level?
Most sports activities dynasties are comparatively short-lived — Yankees (1996-2001), Cowboys (1992-95) and Islanders (1980-84), for instance — however Tom Brady and Invoice Belichick saved the Patriots on prime for 20 years. Even the Bulls (1991-98) reigned supreme longer than the Chiefs have to date.
About to look of their fifth Tremendous Bowl since 2019 and their third straight, the Chiefs haven’t been slowed by parting with stars Tyreek Hill, Tyrann Mathieu and L’Jarius Sneed … or by the rise of seemingly three-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson as a rival … or by groups raiding their teaching employees and entrance workplace … or by accidents this season to playmakers Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco and Hollywood Brown.
So, what might finish the dynasty? The reality is that the Chiefs are nicely set as much as hold it going.
They’d the fourth-youngest roster within the NFL when the season started and the sixth-youngest among the many 14 playoff groups.
Of the 22 gamers who began within the AFC Championship recreation:
- 15 are 27 years outdated or youthful, and a very powerful participant, 29-year-old Patrick Mahomes, has extra wins earlier than his thirtieth birthday than any quarterback in NFL historical past.
- 15 are homegrown, which suggests a sustainable draft-and-develop technique.
- 14 are signed by way of a minimum of subsequent season, together with Mahomes (2031). Per overthecap.com, the Chiefs rank No. 22 within the NFL with about $11.5 million in 2025 salary-cap area to re-sign their eight free brokers (guard Trey Smith and linebacker Nick Bolton, most notably), then have $77.1 million out there subsequent offseason when 5 marquee gamers attain free company (Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Trent McDuffie, Joe Thuney and George Karlaftis).
However, if you’re affected by Chiefs fatigue, listed below are 5 methods the dynasty might finish:
1. Mahomes will get bored
Even essentially the most cutthroat competitor of the previous 40 years, Michael Jordan, retired from the NBA for 2 years to play minor league baseball. If he hadn’t, the Bulls may need received eight straight championships (as an alternative of a pair of three-peats).
This isn’t to say Mahomes — who appears to have extra enjoyable on the sector than anybody — will check his baseball DNA. He was a Thirty seventh-round draft choose of the Tigers out of highschool.
However mega NFL stars Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson and Andrew Luck all unexpectedly walked away from this brutal sport of their primes. By no means say by no means.
2. Andy Reid retires
Hypothesis concerning the 66-year-old Reid’s teaching future dominated chatter final Tremendous Bowl — earlier than he signed an extension by way of 2029. In fact, Reid is below no obligation to see out that deal.
Reid is 29 regular-season wins behind Invoice Belichick for No. 3 all-time and 55 behind Don Shula for No. 1.
If and when Reid walks away, Mahomes must study a special play-caller for the primary time. The Patriots misplaced each their offensive and defensive play-callers after profitable their third Tremendous Bowl in 4 years (2004) and didn’t win once more till 2014.
Permitting outgoing nice coaches at hand off to a right-hand man (like Steve Spagnuolo or Matt Nagy) for the sake of continuity hardly ever works.
3. Travis Kelce and Chris Jones show irreplaceable
Kelce, 35, seems nearer to the top — is that this his ultimate recreation? — than the 30-year-old Jones.
However they’re the 2 different certain Corridor of Famers taking part in who’ve been a part of all 5 Tremendous Bowl appearances with Mahomes.
The Chiefs have proven uncanny restraint by not overpaying to maintain stars, as an alternative cost-effectively filling holes by way of the draft.
Why would Kelce and Jones be any completely different? Effectively, you might be speaking about arguably the best tight finish of all-time and the second-best greatest defensive sort out of a technology (Aaron Donald). That’s completely different than Mathieu, Sneed or Orlando Brown Jr.
4. A worthy rival to Mahomes emerges
Throughout Brady’s nine-year hole between Tremendous Bowl wins, he misplaced playoff video games in opposition to counterparts Jake Plummer, Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez (in addition to the Manning brothers). It feels inconceivable that Mahomes would lose to some second-tier quarterback, contemplating his 16-3 playoff document consists of two losses to Brady.
The NFL’s 4 greatest quarterbacks all reside within the AFC, however within the playoffs Mahomes is 4-0 in opposition to the Payments’ Josh Allen, 1-1 in opposition to the Bengals’ Joe Burrow and 1-0 in opposition to Jackson.
Possibly Burrow will get one other crack on the puzzle that Allen can’t remedy? Or perhaps rising star rookie Jayden Daniels turns into the Eli Manning to Mahomes’ Brady impersonation in Tremendous Bowls?
It took ascendant younger all-time greats in Edmonton to finish the Islanders’ exceptional run of 19 straight playoff sequence wins.
5. Flukes, accidents and controversies
Are there skeletons within the Chiefs’ closet? Because the Patriots turned hated, they started to cope with self-inflicted scandals resembling Spygate and DeflateGate. Breaks just like the “Tuck Rule” evened out on performs just like the “Helmet Catch.”
The Chiefs have had a slew of gamers and an assistant coach (Reid’s son) arrested throughout this period.
On the sector, all it takes is the bounce of a ball to alter the course of historical past.
What if the Payments’ Dalton Kincaid made that circus catch final week within the AFC Championship recreation? Wouldn’t it be remembered just like the “Sea of Fingers” play that ended the Dolphins’ run in 1974? Or Mariano Rivera’s error for the Yankees in 2001?
Joe Montana’s harm with the 49ers in 1990 ended a dynasty.
Then once more, the Chiefs had been simply riddled by accidents and went 15-2. So there may not be Kryptonite to seek out right here.