Does the star crossed lover still have blank space for one more season, or will he ride off into the midnight with his soon to be wife Taylor Swift?

There’s been speculation about Travis Kelce’s possible retirement all season. He was even asked about it after last season’s Super Bowl, where he committed to at least one more season. This speculation has been amped up after his proposal to his superstar musician girlfriend and the ACL injury to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes and Kelce have had a great relationship since Mahomes was drafted by the Chiefs in 2017. Does Kelce want to play another season where he won’t get to play with Mahomes for about half of it? Finances aren’t exactly an issue either — his podcast “New Heights” with his brother Jason has about three million subscribers.

The main reason he’d want to stay is to attempt to go for a “storybook” ending. At the very least, he might not feel right having anyone besides Mahomes throw him his last NFL pass. 

In an interview after the 2025-26 season finale on January 4, he was very noncommittal on his future. He simply emphasized his love for the organization. 

His fiancée Swift plans to take it easy after finishing the largest music tour in human history, the “Era’s” tour. She has stated that her new album “The Life of a Showgirl” will not have an accompanying tour. Both have been very busy the past few years. Swift has released six albums since 2019, and Kelce has been to the Super Bowl all but one season since 2019. This could be the power couple’s chance to ride off into the sunset. 

Regardless of what Kelce decides, it’s clear his reputation is strong. He will be a first ballot football hall of famer whenever he is eligible. 

The Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback situation went from bad to worse on Sunday, Dec. 21, when Gardner Minshew went down with a left knee injury just three plays into a 26–9 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Patrick Mahomes is already out after tearing major ligaments in the same knee a week earlier. The Chiefs were suddenly staring at the possibility of losing two quarterbacks in back-to-back games.

Minshew’s injury looked ominous right away. On a scramble early in the first quarter, he fell awkwardly on what appeared to be a noncontact play. He later immediately reached for his knee and limped off. He attempted to keep going, but Kansas City’s offense visibly stalled as he struggled to set his feet. He finished 3 of 8 for 15 yards before the team turned to third-stringer Chris Oladokun.

Initial concern was a torn ACL, but Monday brought a more straightforward and slightly less catastrophic answer: Minshew avoided an ACL tear. Instead, sources said imaging revealed a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture, which will still end his season. This led the Chiefs to place him on the injured reserve and sign Shane Buechele for depth.

Oladokun stabilized the offense enough to produce all nine of Kansas City’s points. He threw for 111 yards while he also absorbed four sacks. He’s now expected to start the final two games, beginning with a quick turnaround to host Denver on Thursday night.

It’s been an uncharacteristic season for the Kansas City Chiefs, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Their postseason chances took another hit on Thanksgiving after a 31-28 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, putting Andy Reid‘s side 6-6 with five games remaining.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw four touchdowns during the loss, says the equation is simple if the Chiefs want to make the playoffs: win.

“You’ve got to win every game now and hope that’s enough,” Mahomes said after the game.

Thursday’s defeat was the Chiefs’ sixth one-score loss this season. It’s a stark contrast to their 2024 record, where the team went 11-0 in those situations.

Kansas City started the game on the front foot, racing to a 14-7 lead in the first quarter after touchdowns from wide receiver Rashee Rice and tight end Travis Kelce. However, the Cowboys responded by scoring 13 unanswered points through the following two quarters.

The Chiefs retook the lead early in the fourth quarter from another touchdown by Rice. But Dallas responded again by scoring a touchdown and field goal, putting the game out of reach for Reid’s side.

After reaching at least the AFC Championship in the past seven seasons, the Chiefs are currently on the outside looking in as of Sunday. Their remaining games are all against AFC opponents, including matches against division rivals Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders.

“We’re going to play a lot of good football teams coming up,” Mahomes said. “If we’re going to make the playoffs, we’re going to have to win them all. That’s got to be the mindset when we step into the building when we get back.”

Patrick Mahomes didn’t point fingers after yet another tight loss. Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs’ star quarterback put the spotlight squarely on himself as Kansas City’s season drifted closer to the brink.

The Chiefs fell 22–19 to the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Denver, dropping to 5–5 and continuing a baffling trend: they are now 0–5 in one-score games this year after going unbeaten in such contests a season ago.

Mahomes finished with 276 passing yards, one touchdown to Travis Kelce and one costly interception, as Denver’s defense, led by breakout corner Ja’Quan McMillian, repeatedly disrupted the rhythm that once made Kansas City’s offense feel inevitable. McMillian logged a red-zone pick and multiple sacks, flipping key possessions and helping set up points for Denver.

Afterward, Mahomes sounded more like a coach than a reigning superstar, stressing that Kansas City’s biggest issue isn’t talent but reliability from series to series. He said the Chiefs “haven’t been consistent enough to win games” and insisted that fixing that “starts with me,” citing missed throws and protection checks that stalled drives.

On the other side, quarterback Bo Nix continued Denver’s surge, steering an eight-game winning streak and a 9–2 record. He calmly marched the Broncos into range for Wil Lutz’s fifth field goal of the afternoon, a 35-yarder as time expired that gave Denver firm control of the AFC West.

For Kansas City, the loss is about more than one bad throw. The Chiefs now sit outside the AFC playoff field and are in real danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2014, an unthinkable scenario when the year began with talk of more Super Bowl runs.

Mahomes, however, isn’t sounding any alarms. He framed the frustration as fuel; he said, “all they can do is treat every week as a new chance to prove themselves,” and finally closed out the tight games that used to define their dominance.

The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back a familiar face to reinforce their defensive front. Veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel is set to rejoin the team after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this week.

The move comes as the Chiefs attempt to capitalize on the momentum from a 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders. This improved their record to 5-3 for the season. Kansas City’s defense, led by Chris Jones, held Washington to just 260 total yards and forced two turnovers. With rookie Omarr-Norman-Lott ruled out for the year, depth along the defensive line has become a growing concern.

However, the next week, they suffered a painful loss to the Bills.

Pennel, 33 years old, is no stranger to Kansas City. He played two seasons with the Chiefs from 2019 to 2020, and helped the franchise win its first Super Bowl title in 50 years. He later returned in 2023 and earned another championship ring. Besides potentially being the Chiefs’ good luck charm, he is also known for his strength against the run and locker-room presence. Pennel quickly became a favorite among teammates and coaches.

After a brief period with the Bengals this season, Pennel struggled to make an impact, recording just 15 tackles through seven games. Cincinnati’s defense ranks near the bottom of the league in rushing yards allowed and failed to register a sack in its 39-38 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday. The Bengals released Pennel on Tuesday as part of a midseason roster shakeup.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones expressed excitement about Pennel’s potential return. He said, “He’s a heck of a locker-room guy. We’ve got to get my brother back.”

If finalized, Pennel’s signing would reunite him with a defense currently ranked among the NFL’s top five.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid showed respect and sympathy to Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll after a 31-0 victory on Sunday afternoon.

The commanding win improves Reid’s team above .500 for the first time this season. But against an injury-ravaged Raiders, the three time Super Bowl champion showed empathy to his opponent.

“My heart goes out to Pete,” Reid said after the game. “The injuries are crushing for him. Especially when 98 [Maxx Crosby] goes out of the game … I know it’s the Raiders, but I hate seeing that happen.”

Crosby left the game after a big hit just before halftime. The defensive end is added to the long list of injuries the Raiders are dealing with. At Arrowhead Stadium, Carroll’s side started without key starters Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers as Las Vegas recorded only three first downs in the loss.

Defensively, the Raiders have given up 20 or more points for the fifth time this season as they drop to a 2-5 record.

Carroll believes there’s still lots of work to be done as Las Vegas approaches a bye week before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 2.

“We have a lot of catching up to do,” Carroll said after Sunday’s loss. “We’ve got to get our guys back. The key guys that missed the game were key guys on our football team, and we weren’t able to overcome that.”

Tensions erupted at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday night after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Detroit Lions 30-17, when Lions safety Brian Branch struck Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster following the game.

The players met near midfield. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes extended his hand to reach for a high-five from Branch, but a Detroit defender brushed past him. Smith-Schuster stepped in to confront Branch, and things quickly escalated.

Branch hit Smith-Schuster in the facemask, which knocked him to the ground. This triggered a brief brawl between players from both sides before the staff had to intervene.

Later, Branch admitted he lost his composure. “[I] reacted out of frustration after what he felt were ‘uncalled penalties’ earlier in the game,” he said. Smith-Schuster, who left with a bloody nose, said he tried to shake hands and move on. “I was doing my job. I didn’t expect that at all,” he told reporters.

Lions Coach Dan Campbell condemned the incident and apologized to the Chiefs coach Andy Reid, emphasizing that “Branch’s behavior does not reflect the team’s values. It is not who we are; he knows it, and the team knows it.”

Branch, already fined this season, could face additional discipline from the league. The altercation overshadowed a disappointing performance from Detroit, whose four-game win streak came to an end. Kansas City outgained the Lions with 355 total yards, while Mahomes led a steady offensive attack. The Lions will now regroup and look to regain their composure before returning home next week.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a hamstring injury against the Kansas City Chiefs during Sunday’s game.

He left the game halfway through the third quarter, after George Karlaftis sacked him. Jackson remained on the bench for the rest of the game. The Ravens lost 37-20, adding to their already rough start to the season. The Ravens, now 1-3, face the Houston Texans next week, Jackson’s status unknown.

Raven’s head coach, John Harbaugh, stated, “The injury is not season-ending and that Jackson will go through further tests, with an official status update expected soon.”

After Jackson left the field, Cooper Rush came on as the backup quarterback and will start if Jackson is unable to play following Sunday’s game. The Ravens, already off to a shaky start, now face the possibility of navigating the next stretch of the season without their star quarterback. All eyes are turned to Rush, who has brought experience as a spot starter but has never led a team for an extended stretch.

Examining Rush’s history and performance, his play is likely to be conservative, relying on the team’s strong running game and solid defense. Rush’s start to the season so far has been unimpressive, but the team and fans are optimistic. With a record of 9-5 as a starter in the NFL, he might be what the Ravens need to hang in there for the upcoming stretch of the season.

It is going to be hard to fill the shoes of Jackson. He has been the centerpiece of Baltimore’s offense. Without him, the Ravens lose the unpredictability that has defined their attack, allowing opponents to key in on the run game. Jackson’s versatility as both a passer and runner forces defenses into constant adjustments, and without that dynamic presence, Baltimore’s offense risks becoming one-dimensional and easier to contain. The pressure is on for Rush as they face Houston next.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been fined for unsportsmanlike conduct for making an “obscene gesture” during an NFL game on Sept. 14.

Kelce motioned to his groin when he celebrated a 23-yard reception against the Philadelphia Eagles.

It was the third quarter and the clock read 4:16 when Kelce ran down the Eagles’ sideline, making hand gestures.

Kelce has been fined $14,491 by the NFL. He can appeal this decision if he wants to.

The exact moment was captured on camera and has been going viral ever since the game ended.

On social media, the video has gotten over six million views.

During this game, Kelce caught four passes, accumulating 61 yards.

This game was seen by many as a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl game, which the Eagles also won.

The Chiefs lost the game 20-17, marking this as their second loss of the season.

Kansas City will face the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 28.

The Kansas City Chiefs are 0-2 for the first time since Patrick Mahomes became their star quarterback, losing 20-17 to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in a rematch of Super Bowl LIX.

With an already weakened offense, the Chiefs had difficulty moving the ball past the Eagles throughout the game. The key turning point in the game came in the fourth quarter.

Mahomes targeted tight end Travis Kelce, but the pass fell out of Kelce’s hands and was intercepted by rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, who ran it for 41 yards from the goal line. The rookie looked like he would have made a touchdown if offensive lineman Josh Simmons‘ tackle hadn’t stopped him.

“I threw it a tad too early,” Mahomes told reporters after the game. “If I could put it on his body, he can catch it, take the hit and get into the end zone.”

The Eagles extended their lead in the next drive with quarterback Jalen Hurts making a 28-yard pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith, his biggest pass.

The Eagles scored multiple “tush-push” runs, including the game-sealing touchdown, to increase the Eagles’ lead. The Eagles scored 20-10 with around six minutes left.

The Chiefs answered with a late 49-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, but they could not reclaim possession, leaving the Eagles to run the clock out.

The loss had historical weight for the Chiefs. It was the first time the team began their season 0-2 since 2014 under head coach Andy Reid. After the game, Reid spoke honestly about the loss to the Eagles with reporters.

“I’ll take full responsibility for that game. I probably stayed too aggressive on that, and that’s my responsibility,” Reid said. “I thought my guys played their tails off. They played hard and aggressive football. They stuck together throughout the game, and that’ll pay [off] for us down the road as we continue to grow.”

Reid emphasized accountability and having the team continue doing what they have done.

The Chiefs will look to rebound in Week 3 with a must-win mindset against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. For now, the jarring 0-2 start is a reminder that even the strongest teams can fumble.

Wide receiver Skyy Moore will join the San Francisco 49ers in a trade along with a 2027 seventh-round draft pick.

The Kansas City Chiefs will receive a 2027 sixth-round draft choice as part of the trade.

The 24-year-old looks to add depth to San Francisco’s injury-ravaged wide receiver position. One of those players includes Brandon Aiyuk, who is not expected to return until Week 6.

Jauan Jennings, who ended last season with the second-highest receiving yards for the 49ers, is dealing with a calf problem. Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing are also among the players dealing with injuries.

After being drafted in 2022 by the Chiefs, the team hoped Moore could replace the offensive threat of Tyreek Hill, who was just traded to the Miami Dolphins. However, Moore only started 11 games and made 43 receptions for Andy Reid‘s side in three seasons.

The former Western Michigan receiver appeared in three postseason games for the Chiefs, which included a fourth-quarter touchdown in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.

A move to Northern California could provide a fresh start for Moore, who is entering a team that’s buried by injuries for the wide receiver role.

A bullet was fired into Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s office in last year, missing him by 15 feet, The Kansas City Star reported.

Reid was unharmed during the event, according to Kansas City Police Department spokesperson Capt. Jake Becchina.

Shortly after midnight on May 4, 2024, a shot from outside the Chiefs’ facility struck through the glass of Reid’s office and wedged into a wall. Reid was sitting 15 feet from the incident.

An investigation is still ongoing, with no arrests or charges being made.

“There is no indication this was a targeted incident at any person or organization,” Becchina said.

“Because the building was occupied at the time of the bullet coming through the window, the case is being investigated as an aggravated assault.”

Two other shots were also fired around the facility, according to the report. An air conditioning unit and the third floor were struck in addition to Reid’s office. No people were harmed by the incident.

Reid’s office is now protected by bulletproof glass.

Since becoming head coach of the Chiefs in 2013, the 67-year-old has led the team to five Super Bowl’s, winning three of them. The shooting incident came three months after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, claiming their third championship in their last five seasons.

The Kansas City Chiefs had another record-breaking season, heading to their third straight Super Bowl in the 2024-2025 season, where they will face the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch from Super Bowl 57, which the Chiefs won 38-35. Kansas City would have the chance to be the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a row, going against the Eagles in Super Bowl 59. The Chiefs failed to show up and lost 40-22 in a blowout. The team still dominated the AFC, going 15-2 and winning their division for the ninth straight season.

Heading into the 2025 offseason, the Chiefs will need to rebuild their offense to support quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had one of his worst statistical years of his career, and with tight end Travis Kelce turning 35, he is approaching the end of his career. The Chiefs would reshuffle their offensive line by trading All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears in a surprising move. They would also franchise tag guard Trey Smith and sign free agent offensive tackle Jaylon Moore to a two-year deal. Kansas City re-signed several key players from last season’s Super Bowl run, like wide receiver Marquise Brown, linebacker Nick Bolton, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and defensive lineman Charles Omenihu.

The Chiefs also added to their already dominant defense, signing cornerback Kristian Fulton to a two-year $20 million deal, and defensive lineman Jerry Tillery to a one-year contract. They also signed other names, like quarterback Gardner Minshew and running back Elijah Mitchell.

>GET DEALS ON KANSAS CITY CHIEFS TICKETS NOW!

In the 2025 NFL draft, the Chiefs continued to add to their offensive line, drafting Josh Simmons out of Ohio State in the first round. They continued to add to their roster, making key selections like defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott from Tennessee and wide receiver Jalen Royals from Utah State to give Mahomes another weapon.

Kansas City will be the favorites once again to return to their fourth Super Bowl in a row heading into the 2025-2026 season with the 11th most challenging schedule in the NFL, according to Fox Sports. They open their season against a divisional rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, on the road in what should be a pivotal game for both teams’ seasons. The Chiefs will also get a chance at redemption in week two, when they host the Eagles in a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl at home in Kansas City, in one of the biggest games of the NFL season. Some other key matchups for the Chiefs this season include the Ravens in Week 4, the Lions in Week 6, and the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, in a huge rivalry game.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SCHEDULE & TICKET DEALS

• Week 1: Sept. 5 at Los Angeles Chargers (Brazil – São Paulo)
• Week 2: Sept. 14 against Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 3: Sept. 21 at New York Giants
• Week 4: Sept. 28 against Baltimore Ravens
• Week 5: Oct. 6 at Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 6: Oct. 12 against Detroit Lions
• Week 7: Oct. 19 against Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 8: Oct. 27 against Washington Commanders
• Week 9: Nov. 2 at Buffalo Bills
• Week 10: Bye Week
• Week 11: Nov. 16 at Denver Broncos
• Week 12: Nov. 23 against the Indianapolis Colts
• Week 13: Nov. 27 at Dallas Cowboys (Thanksgiving)
• Week 14: Dec. 7 against the Houston Texans
• Week 15: Dec. 14 against Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 16: Dec. 21 at Tennessee Titans
• Week 17: Dec. 25 against the Denver Broncos (Christmas)
• Week 18: at Las Vegas Raiders

Kansas City Chiefs Season/Games Odds

The Chiefs enter the season with the fourth-best odds of winning the Super Bowl in the NFL, at +800, and are in a three-way tie for the AFC Championship with the Bills and Ravens, both at +400 odds. The Chiefs are also favored in 16 out of their 17 games in 2025, with only one game as underdogs, in week nine against the Buffalo Bills, who were one of the two teams to beat them in the 2025 regular season. 

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Kansas City Chiefs star wide receiver Rashee Rice was sentenced to 30 days of jail time and five years’ probation Thursday for his role in a multicar crash last year, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

A Dallas judge ruled that Rice can serve the jail time at any point during the five-year probationary period, sources told Schefter. Rice also received deferred adjudication, according to sources, so the case will be dismissed if he completes the probation.

The NFL now can expedite its disciplinary process of Rice, who is likely to receive a multigame suspension at some point during the upcoming 2025 season.

Police said Rice was traveling at 119 mph in a Lamborghini sport utility vehicle shortly before the May 30, 2024, crash in Dallas. He was facing one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury.

At least seven people were injured in the crash, according to the affidavit.

“There have been a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages that my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole,” Rice’s lawyer, Royce West, said in a statement on his client’s behalf. “I urge everyone to mind the speed limit, drive safe and drive smart.

“Last and certainly not least, I am profoundly sorry for the physical damages to person and property. I fully apologize for the harm I caused to innocent drivers and their families.”

The 25-year-old star receiver suffered a torn right ACL in Week 4 last season and missed the remainder of the Chiefs’ AFC championship campaign. Rice had an impressive rookie season in 2023, though, hauling in 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns as the Chiefs rolled to the Super Bowl title. The Chiefs expect the 2023 second-round draft pick to be healthy when training camp begins next week.

Travis Kelce will turn 36 during this upcoming NFL season and stats show the Kansas City Chiefs star has lost a step. Last season, he posted the lowest numbers of his career as a starter with 823 yards and three touchdowns; he caught 97 passes but averaged only 8.5 yards per reception, the first time he’s ever averaged fewer than 10 yards per catch.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach understands this and gave a brutally honest quote about how Kelce’s game will continue to change as he gets older.

“We’ve all seen it over the last few years,” Veach said via ESPN’s Adam Teicher. “There are periods throughout the season where you’re like, ‘This might be it.’ But when the games are the most important and the lights are the brightest, he finds it somewhere.

“The great ones know how to find it. They know where it’s buried, and they know how to access it. And they can’t access it at that age, week in and week out, but when they need it, they know how to find it.”

Kelce has earned a reputation for clutch play over the years, and his elite ability to find open space in the defense suggests he’ll be able to step up like Veach says, despite declining athleticism. He did “find it,” as Veach said in the postseason last year against the Houston Texans, when he recorded 117 yards receiving on seven catches and one touchdown. But he was effectively shut down in the AFC championship game and the blowout Super Bowl loss.

The Chiefs will need Kelce in big moments this season. Veach clearly believes he’s ready for the challenge.

There’s been speculation regarding the future of Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce and if this season might be his last.

His quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, said Kelce is not acting as if this season is going into “his last ride.”

“If it’s the last ride, you would never know,” Mahomes said to the media about Kelce. “The way he’s talking about football, the way he’s talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year. He doesn’t seem like a guy that, it’s his last ride or he’s tired of the job.”

Kelce and Mahomes have had a historic partnership. From the time Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018, Kelce has 697 catches for 8,251 yards and 57 touchdowns.

Kelce’s motivation to continue his career could stem from the Chiefs’ blowout Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22.

Kelce also recorded his lowest season totals, 823 yards and three touchdowns, since his rookie year in the NFL.

The Chiefs enter the 2026 season tied as the favorites according to oddsmakers to win the Super Bowl with the Eagles. Their over/under 11.5 wins is also the highest in the NFL.

The 35-year-old tight end might be coming closer to his retirement, but it appears that day isn’t here yet.

The Kansas City Chiefs may have lost this past Super Bowl, but if history’s taught us anything, it’s that – with a lot of help from their best players – they’ll probably be back.

In the meantime, though, those faces of the team are stepping up to allow the Chiefs some cap flexibility. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and six-time Pro Bowl DT Chris Jones have reportedly agreed to restructure their contracts, converting a substantial portion of their pay into signing bonuses to create $49.446 million in extra cap space for 2025.

The Chiefs’ cap situation had, admittedly, been tight. They were forced to trade four-time All-Pro Guard Joe Thuney to the Bears earlier this week in order to free up $16 million in cap space. With the newfound room, they’ve added some minor pieces that they hope will make an impact.

Their new starting left tackle will presumably be Jaylon Moore, who they signed to a four-year contract despite his having just 12 career starts. They also added Gardner Minshew to back up Mahomes, running back Elijah Mitchell from the 49ers and cornerback Kristian Fulton.

Most of the Chiefs’ moves so far have been minor, but there’s a good reason for that: they’ve got a group that finished atop the NFL in the regular season last year and competed for a third consecutive Super Bowl. As long as they have Mahomes and Jones, working for the team both on and off the field, they will be considered a threat.

Gardner Minshew is heading to Kansas City, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Chiefs.

Minshew will be the new backup to Patrick Mahomes, replacing Carson Wentz, who is currently a free agent.

The Las Vegas Raiders parted ways with Minshew on Wednesday, just one year into his two-year, $25 million deal.

Minshew outperformed Aidan O’Connell in training camp to win the Raiders’ starting quarterback job last year. However, he struggled, throwing for 2,013 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions over 10 games – nine as the starter – before a broken collarbone sidelined him for the season. The Raiders finished 2-7 in his starts.

In his six-year career, Minshew has thrown 68 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in 59 games, including 46 starts, with the Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars, who drafted him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.

Minshew’s most productive season came in 2023 with the Colts, when he threw for a career-high 3,305 yards over 17 games, including 13 starts, leading Indianapolis to a 7-6 record in those starts.

What, exactly, was it that allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to make the Super Bowl in five of the last six years?

The obvious answer is quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who’s widely acknowledged as the best quarterback in the NFL. Maybe a dominant defense, featuring six-time Pro Bowler Chris Jones. One factor you definitely didn’t think of, though, is the Chiefs’ offensive line – the one that gave up six sacks to the Philadelphia Eagles this past Super Bowl.

The offensive line held up well for most of the regular season, thanks in large part to the efforts of Trey Smith, a Pro Bowl right guard, and Joe Thuney, who made First Team All-Pro in 2024 as a left guard. With the postseason over and the Chiefs already in a cap crunch, though, new deals for Smith and Thuney were on the table. Smith, 25, is seven years younger. Unsurprisingly, Thuney was the casualty, being traded to the Chicago Bears for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

From Chicago’s perspective, the trade makes sense. The Bears’ rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, was sacked a league-high 68 times during the 2024 season. Having entered the offseason with $79 million in cap space, the Bears are willing to spend big to protect their quarterback of the future.

The move also allows the Chiefs to gain significant cap flexibility, taking Thuney’s $16 million cap hit off the books. They’re also free to pursue their offensive line of the future, which will likely mean taking a look at the players available in the Draft, including Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. If they’d rather go the free agency route, Cam Robinson and Ronnie Stanley are both available.

Kansas City has been a perennial contender (and winner) for the last several seasons, in large part due to the Herculean efforts of their front office. It’s hard not to trust their process.

Even so, the Thuney trade requires the Chiefs to have a solid plan for the left side of their offensive line this offseason, which has been an issue in years past as well. At least, if they want to continue maximizing Mahomes’ prime.

The NFL is reportedly considering changes to overtime rules in the regular season. Instead of allowing the receiving team to automatically win with a touchdown, the league may adopt the current playoff rules that give both teams a chance to score regardless of the first drive’s outcome.

In addition to adapting the rules, the league is also considering extending the overtime period to 15 minutes. Some combination of these two changes could complete the NFL’s departure from sudden-death regulations.

Controversies over the years concerning overtime rules are countless. Every fanbase has a story about its team getting denied possession at the end of a close game. The 2019 AFC Championship between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes ended this way, with the Chiefs losing a coin toss and never getting a chance on offense. Three years later, Mahomes beat the Bills and Josh Allen in identical fashion. 

The league has taken many steps over the years to tinker with the longstanding rules, but this prospective change could put the issue to rest forever. Without instituting something as radical as the NCAA’s format with untimed downs, the NFL can still create a system where both teams get a chance to score throughout the season. 

“Should it be the same overtime rules as it is in the postseason?” Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations, said this week. “This is one when you think about themes coming out of the season, overtime would be one that I would say is one that universally the committee thought we need to address this.”

In an effort to increase competition within football, changing the overtime rules to promote parity after the coin toss feels like a natural direction for the league. With considerable momentum reportedly behind the movement, it seems like more changes to the existing format are imminent.