The Kansas City Chiefs have restructured Patrick Mahomes’ contract. 

Part of Mahomes’s contract has been converted into a signing bonus. His 2026 salary cap hit will be $34 million. His cap hit for the next four seasons has increased by an average of $11 million. 

Mahomes is currently recovering from two torn ligaments in his left knee. Mahomes told ESPN he hopes to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season. However, most league sources expect Mahomes to miss at least part of the 2026 season.

In 2025, the Chiefs finished with a 6-11 record. This caused them to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Even with Mahomes at quarterback, the team went just 6-8. Despite this, Mahomes still looked strong individually with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

The Chiefs’ offense was surprisingly bad. They had the No. 21-ranked offense in the league. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy left this offseason to join the New York Giants. The Chiefs brought back Eric Bieniemy as their new offensive coordinator. Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022. He won two Super Bowls during this time. Beyond just the Super Bowls, Mahomes had his four best individual seasons with Bieniemy at OC. 

Despite the restructuring of Mahomes’ contract, the Chiefs still don’t have a lot of cap space to work with. Over the cap estimates that the Chiefs have a negative $11 million in cap space. The Chiefs could also look to restructure the contracts of other veteran players. Franchise legend Travis Kelce is currently not under contract for 2026.

NFL free agency will begin on March 11. The Chiefs will look to navigate their tough cap situation and improve their offense. March 9 is the start of the legal tampering period. This is when teams can negotiate with players, but can’t sign them until free agency begins.

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 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.

Tom Brady is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, but it’s the quarterback of the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs he most respects in the NFL today.

Asked on the Joel Klatt Show if there are any quarterbacks he respects for how they go about their business or remind him of himself, Brady named only Patrick Mahomes, as he gave a long answer about everything a quarterback has to do to win.

“It’s always that line about who wants to win versus who’s willing to do whatever it takes to win,” Brady said. “Everyone wants to win, but what are the habits and the daily habits and the actionable things you need to do every day to put your team in a position to win? So Patrick Mahomes, to me, is the one [who] does that the most often because [of] who he is, obviously his physical talent, how he understands what he needs to do offensively, and he brings a consistent winning attitude to work every single day. In the biggest moments, you can depend on him the most. That’s clear.”

Brady didn’t mention any other active quarterback by name but indicated that the other top quarterbacks in the league still have more to prove before they’re on Mahomes’ level.

“There’s other guys that are still developing, and they need to prove it before, in my mind, I can say, ‘Oh yeah, he’s done it.’ Well, obviously, he hasn’t done it yet,” Brady said. “They’ve all shown flashes of amazing things. They’re all great players. All of them can make tremendous plays. At some point, they need to take the next step and take, in my mind, more ownership of what they’re doing, in terms of the organizational level, to do more things, empower more people, to get more people on that train of that bus with you to head in the directions you want to go.”

Brady said he isn’t sure if the current quarterbacks in the NFL today, outside Mahomes, are doing every single thing they need to do to be the leaders of a franchise.

“The quarterback, in many ways, is the CEO of the team,” Brady said. “Certainly, on game day, there’s nobody that impacts the game more than the quarterback in NFL football. Now, you have to have the ability and the belief from the entire team, offensively and defensively, that your word means so much. And how you act every day matters to all three phases of the game. As a quarterback, you don’t just punch the clock, ‘I did my job, I threw for 40 touchdowns, why are we not winning?’ What are you doing in the offseason to help your defense? What are you doing to push the personnel department to get people doing the right thing? Are you involved in game planning? I used to do my own walk-throughs. I used to say, ‘Alright, guys, I don’t give a f— if the coaches want to come, we’re doing our walk-throughs.'”

Brady has reached 10 Super Bowls and won seven of them, the best in NFL history. Mahomes has been to five Super Bowls and won three. Time will tell if Mahomes is ever going to jump Brady as the greatest quarterback in NFL history, but Brady thinks Mahomes is doing the right things at the position. Brady also thinks that Mahomes is doing the right things to get to being the greatest quarterback of all time – even as the team Brady co-owns tries to prevent that from happening.

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.

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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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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.

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.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s NFL future remains a matter of speculation, with several reports providing conflicting information regarding his retirement decision. Kelce is in line to receive a $12.5 million roster bonus in March, as well as a $4.5 million base salary with bonuses for the 2025 season.

The Chiefs fell one game short of a three-peat in the Super Bowl earlier this month, losing badly to the Eagles in a dreadful offensive showing. Kelce was a non-factor in the contest, catching just four passes for 39 yards.

“I wasn’t the best that I could be in motivating my guys and keeping my guys calm, cool and collected and I put a lot of that on myself, you know, as the guy that’s been in the building for 12 years and seen a lot of football and seen a situation just like this, in the Super Bowl,” Kelce said on his podcast after the defeat.

Not only did Kelce fail to produce in the Super Bowl, but he also received criticism for a perceived lack of hustle on several plays. While the Chiefs have spent the last three seasons building around quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Eagles finally conquered them in the most direct way possible: They excelled in all areas. 

As Kansas City reevaluates this failure and moves on from it, Kelce may need to take more of a supporting role if he plans to stay for another year. This shift may not be as difficult as it appears. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy is coming off an incredible rookie season and caught eight passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. Fellow receiver Rashee Rice has to recover from an injury while battling considerable legal trouble, but he could also regain a key role when he returns. 

Despite his struggles coinciding directly with the Chiefs’ Super Bowl collapse, Kelce could still provide value if he chooses to stay for another season. If he makes the selfless decision to leave before the team has to divert any more funds toward him, however, it could give the team the chance to make further adjustments and build for the future. There doesn’t appear to be a wrong answer here, the luxury of being at a low point as the NFL’s runner-up.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had no answers for the Philadelphia Eagles’ relentless defense, and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts kept the offense in control.

Kansas City’s dreams of a Super Bowl three-peat fell apart in a one-sided affair.

The Eagles clinched their second Super Bowl victory with a 40-22 rout of the Chiefs, fueled by Cooper DeJean’s pick-6 and Josh Sweat’s constant pressure on Mahomes.

Philadelphia took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Saquon Barkley pushed Hurts into the end zone from the 1-yard line.

Two touchdown passes and a tush push score earned Hurts Super Bowl MVP, while Vic Fangio’s defense was so suffocating that the Eagles didn’t have to rely on Barkley.

With 67 rushing yards, Barkley broke Terrell Davis‘ single-season rushing record, playoffs included, while Hurts tallied 221 passing yards.

After Jake Elliott’s 48-yard field goal put the Eagles ahead 10-0, Sweat and Jalyx Hunt delivered back-to-back sacks on Mahomes, forcing him into a desperate throw that DeJean intercepted and returned 38 yards for a touchdown, making it 17-0.

The Eagles’ defense made history against Mahomes, forcing his first career playoff pick-6 and breaking his streak of 297 passes without an interception.

Zack Baun picked off Mahomes for the second time just before halftime, setting up Hurts’ 12-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown to extend the lead to 24-0.

Barkley had a quiet first half, picking up only 31 rushing yards.

Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith on a 46-yard touchdown pass, making it 34-0 late in the third quarter.

Mahomes found Xavier Worthy for a 24-yard touchdown to put the Chiefs on the board, but the 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful. He later threw two late touchdown passes—one to DeAndre Hopkins and another to Worthy—when the game was already out of reach.

A 32-yard completion from Hurts to Brown on fourth-and-2 was negated by an offensive pass interference penalty after Brown made contact with Trent McDuffie’s facemask.

The Eagles gained a fresh set of downs when McDuffie was penalized for unnecessary roughness on Dallas Goedert after a third-and-5 pass was incomplete.

Hurts hit Jahan Dotson with a 27-yard pass to set up a 1-yard touchdown run on the next play.

Mahomes was undefeated in eight matchups against Fangio-led defenses, until the veteran coordinator got the better of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. The loss brought Reid’s Super Bowl record to 3-3, including a loss with the Eagles.

Philadelphia’s defense overwhelmed Mahomes, sacking him a career-high six times, including 2.5 from Sweat and two by Milton Williams – all without Fangio sending a single blitz.

The Green Bay Packers remain the only NFL team that has won three straight Super Bowls, doing so in two separate stretches: 1929-31 and 1965-67.

The public has grown tired of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, fulfilling the most boring, played-out media cycle in sports. In desperate need of a villain in the stories they create in their heads, fans are using Kansas City’s sustained success to transform the team from late-2010s darling to conniving, uninspired cheaters. 

“If winning football games makes you a villain, we’re going to keep going out there and doing it,” Mahomes said this week. “We embrace who we are. We believe we play the game the right way, with a lot of heart and passion for the game.”

We’ve seen this countless times in the modern sports landscape. It seems like too much attention inevitably leads to vitriol. The New York Yankees, never popular due to decades of success, didn’t adopt their “Evil Empire” moniker until 2002, right at the tail end of a four-title dynasty. The New England Patriots went from nobodies to a league-wide scourge when Tom Brady started racking up Super Bowls in the early 2000s. Teaming with Randy Moss in 2007 and Rob Gronkowski later on helped cement that status for another decade.

It comes up in works of fiction, too. WWE star John Cena, the company hero, walked out to raucous, overwhelming boos for most of his career as fans begged for a change in the world title picture. Harvey Dent, shortly before fulfilling his own prophecy in The Dark Knight, announced to Bruce Wayne, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

On the verge of a historic three-peat, this is where the Chiefs find themselves in the sporting world. More than going out of their way, many fans are practically doing inverted handstands trying to find ways to cheapen Kansas City’s accomplishments. 

The excuses are comprehensive. It’s rigged. The refs are biased. The Chiefs play soft. Mahomes isn’t as exciting anymore. The brand of football is unappealing and bad for the game. Taylor Swift shouldn’t be on my television screen. Andy Reid is carrying Mahomes. Mahomes is carrying Reid. The defense is carrying both of them.

Here are the facts: the Chiefs are a profoundly talented football team worthy of appearing in their third straight Super Bowl, and Mahomes is even more talented now than he was when anyone with a couch and some salsa was drooling over him in 2019. 

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It’s acceptable to root for someone else in the Super Bowl — Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles are just as deserving. It also feels unjust on some cosmic level that Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have to spend another year watching from home. 

Kansas City is the Goliath, talented from every aspect with a resume of undeniable greatness. If fans need heroes, then the Chiefs can be their foil. Minimizing their accomplishments to do that, however, feels like a small and petty betrayal to the game itself. Without any organic rooting interest, spending a few hours hoping that supremely gifted individuals get exposed as frauds feels like time wasted.

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As the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs prepare for a Super Bowl rematch, the traditional playbook for both teams is likely being refined and sharpened in the interest of making one final push. 

As both teams look for ways to keep their opponent off-balance, both coaching staffs are likely landing on the same answer: quarterback mobility. It could very well decide the Super Bowl.

To get to this point, the Eagles and Chiefs have relied on certain strengths, some similar and others vastly different. Philadelphia has leaned heavily on running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 2,005 yards in the regular season, and Jalen Hurts’ physicality on rushes, scrambles and sneaks. Kansas City has relied on Patrick Mahomes’ arm, which led the team to countless one-score victories this year. Both teams boast daunting run defenses as well, which have been vastly helpful in forcing turnovers and keeping them in close games. 

In the playoffs, the Eagles have simply perfected the system they used in the regular season. Barkley remains a bell cow, and Hurts has been a powerhouse out of the pocket, rushing 23 times for four touchdowns in three games. 

In their postseason run, however, the Chiefs have stepped things up a notch. Mahomes has finally begun leaving the pocket, a change that absolutely killed the Texans and Bills. Buffalo could have dealt with Mahomes’ arm, but his legs were what eventually sent the Bills packing in the AFC Championship game.

In the process of shedding their regular-season identity, the Chiefs have come to rely on Mahomes’ full arsenal, something they intentionally restrain most of the year. This is the same reason Travis Kelce has become notorious for quiet ends to the regular season late in his career. Kansas City prefers to preserve its stars and unleash them at opportune times.

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With Mahomes capable of breaking off massive chunk plays through the air and on the ground, the Chiefs have again become the most dangerous offense in the NFL. The team’s defense has always been elite. If the Eagles have any chance, it will depend on Barkley pulling through by himself. Hurts will have to outplay Mahomes. Doing that in the passing game is practically impossible, but he’s one of a handful of quarterbacks in the league who can do so by rushing.

The last time these two teams played in a Super Bowl, the Eagles were the better team in most areas, and Mahomes made up the difference. This time around, the Chiefs are the ones playing with more chips. Hurts is Philadelphia’s only meaningful variable, the team’s most dynamic player whose performance can singlehandedly make the difference or lead directly to another defeat.

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The Kansas City Chiefs, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions, secured an opportunity to make history with a historic three-peat. Once again, they defeated the Bills along the way.

 Patrick Mahomes‘ 245 yards passing, a touchdown, two rushing scores, and crucial defensive stops guided the Chiefs to a 32-29 win over the Bills in the AFC championship game.

The Chiefs have ended the Bills’ season in the playoffs four times since January 2021. As with the other matchups, it was a battle between the two elite teams, with the game tied after Josh Allen connected with Curtis Samuel in the end zone.

Mahomes stayed composed, completing four consecutive passes on the following possession, setting up Harrison Butker‘s field goal with 3:33 to go, leaving the Bills with another must-score situation.

Allen started the drive with a run for first down, but his next two throws were knocked down at the line of scrimmage. He found Amari Cooper for a short gain on third down, and with the Bills converting four of five downs, they opted to go for it. Kansas City’s blitz pressured Allen to launch a desperate throw that Dalton Kincaid couldn’t haul in deep downfield.

With possession back, the Chiefs picked up a few first downs and kicked off their celebration.

With Kareem Hunt scoring on a touchdown run and Xavier Worthy catching six passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, Kansas City became only the fourth franchise to make at least three straight Super Bowl appearances, extending their playoff win streak to nine games.

Allen finished with 237 passing yards and two touchdowns, while James Cook added 85 rushing yards and two TDs.

The Bills have not returned to the Super Bowl since making four consecutive appearances from 1990 to 1993.

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The Kansas City Chiefs prolonged a season filled with miracles as they advanced to the AFC Championship for the seventh consecutive year, beating the Houston Texans 23-14.

The Texans outgained the Chiefs by over a hundred yards and committed no turnovers. If you ask Texans fans, the difference in the game was penalties – including two questionable roughing calls on Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Multiple Texans players, including running back Joe Mixon, mentioned the referees following the game.

“Everybody knows how it is playing up here. You can never leave it into the refs’ hands,” Mixon said. “The whole world sees, man, what it is. When it comes down to it, you can never leave it into the refs’ hands.”

Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandazeh posted in agreement, commenting, “Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with Chiefs.” Ironically enough, Mixon would later be mistakenly fined – the league maximum fine – for Houshmandazeh’s comment.

When asked for comment, Mahomes declined to place judgment on the referees’ calls.

“Obviously, there was a call here and there that people didn’t agree with,” he said. “But at the same time I think there were a lot of other plays that really decided the outcome of that football game.”

The calls that were made, though, weren’t the only ones in contention. Mahomes was forced out of bounds on a second down in the fourth quarter, flailing after a shove by a Texans defender.

“Taking the competitiveness out of the game,” one fan said; another called it “trash and unsportsmanlike.”

Mahomes agreed that he “probably did too much” on the play. “The ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag, I understood it immediately and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

The Chiefs face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship on Sunday.

Despite losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 27-19 less than a month ago, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is confident about his chances in the AFC Divisional Round. The second-year passer saw the regular season defeat as an opportunity to prepare against the defending Super Bowl champions.

“You definitely have to go back and see things that worked and things that didn’t work, and I think that definitely helps playing them so recently,” Stroud said. “But they also have that advantage as well, so we still have to be able to have a new game plan and do things that are new. It definitely does help to see a familiar team again and they do a lot of great things. We didn’t really see a whole bunch of it, I think there are some exotic things, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that stuff started to show up.”

In a weekend of exciting divisional matchups, including a highly anticipated game between the Ravens and Bills on the other side of the AFC, the Texans are one of the biggest underdogs remaining. The 15-2 Chiefs spent the entire 2024 season surgically dissecting opponents late in games. Patrick Mahomes is widely considered to be the best postseason quarterback in the NFL, chasing his fourth Super Bowl title. 

Whether they’d like to admit it or not, Kansas City’s aims extend far beyond the Texans. The team is operating on a dynastic scale, as Mahomes chases the likes of Tom Brady and Joe Montana. Even those titans fell short of winning three in a row.

Many agree that the Chiefs’ reign could end later this month against the winner of the Baltimore-Buffalo game. If they fall short, a few NFC rivals could still stop them in the Super Bowl. Very, very few expect the run to end against the Texans, whose aims don’t extend much further than the next four days. 

To advance this far, the Texans defeated the Chargers 32-12 in the Wild Card round, completely shutting down Los Angeles on defense and special teams. Running back Joe Mixon rushed 25 times for 108 yards and a touchdown. It was a win cemented by nailing down the finer points, which would again be integral to any upset chance over a team like Kansas City. But as Stroud said, he and the offense will have to bring more to the table to have any chance of contending this time around. 

Mahomes and the Chiefs are notorious for their bag of tricks. Stroud, on the other hand, has settled into a competent, level-headed role in his second season. The Chiefs’ defense and special teams are better than the Chargers. Mixon won’t have as much room to run. There’s a reason the first matchup between these two teams was so one-sided. The passing game will make the difference, and Stroud will have to dig deeper.

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The Kansas City Chiefs re-signed wide receiver Montrell Washington to their practice squad this week, making the popular speedster eligible to compete in the playoffs if needed. The team released linebacker Blake Lynch, completing a strange sequence of roster moves necessitated by a quirk in the NFL practice squad rules.

With the first seed already secured heading into the final week of the regular season, the Chiefs’ plan to rest their starters hit a few snags at the linebacker position. Backup Jack Cochrane was injured and two practice squad linebackers, Swayze Bozeman and Cam Jones, had already exhausted their potential roster elevations. The NFL rules state that a player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times in the regular season.

With all three reserve options unavailable, the Chiefs had to sign Lynch to fill in. Lynch performed well in the team’s blowout loss to the Broncos, receiving key playing time on both defense and special teams. His strong showing could result in a future contract and a spot next season, but with Bozeman and Jones both available again in the postseason, he is no longer needed.

Washington, on the other hand, could prove to be a very valuable reserve option in the Chiefs’ fast-paced offense. Xavier Worthy, DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown form a crowded receiver room already, but Washington could fill in for any of these talented route runners if needed. He is also reportedly a positive locker room presence, which could make his return meaningful for morale and camaraderie off the field. 

Minor depth adjustments could play a part in a handful of meaningful moments during a postseason run, but much of the work for the Chiefs has already been done as they pursue a third straight Super Bowl. 

The roster has flourished into that of a nearly invulnerable powerhouse on both sides of the ball, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes remains the team’s difference maker. At age 29, the three-time champ is already one of the most bankable passers in playoff history, and his performance in big moments will ultimately make the difference in prolonging this dynastic run — or cutting it short.

For the first time in his NFL career, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been crowded out of the elite tier. The three-time Super Bowl Champion was not named to the initial 2024 Pro Bowl roster, an honor he has received every year since becoming Kansas City’s starter in 2018.

For all of Mahomes’ accolades and accomplishments, as well as the Chiefs’ current status as Super Bowl favorites, there are few arguments to justify a spot for him in the Pro Bowl. If he competed in the NFC, there would be a remote chance of him pulling rank on the likes of Jared Goff or Jayden Daniels. In the AFC, however, there is no debate. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are dominating the race for MVP and all three have made an unimpeachable Pro Bowl case. Mahomes has not.

Over the course of the season, Jackson and Allen have delivered virtuoso performances through spectacularly dynamic play. Jackson has thrown for 3,955 yards and 39 touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions; Allen has thrown for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns. Jackson has been a consistent menace in the rushing game while Allen has also proven more than capable of running when needed, particularly in several high-scoring games in the past month.

While these two have effortlessly blazed their teams’ trails to playoff berths, Burrow has been on his own mission, singlehandedly carrying an otherwise unremarkable Bengals team back into contention. Seemingly always in close games despite sustained explosive production, he has thrown for 4,641 yards and 42 touchdowns. He’s a staggering one-man show dragging Cincinnati, kicking and screaming, within one game of the postseason heading into Week 18.

On paper, Mahomes’ 2024 statistics aren’t necessarily foreign to this conversation. Closely mirroring Allen in passing, he has thrown for 3,928 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. But Allen has been a threat on the ground as well and had a number of heroic performances in important games. Mahomes has been more conservative, reflecting the Chiefs’ deliberate, grinding approach as a unit this season.

It has happened in the past that great players have sacrificed individual honors for the greater cause. Tom Brady had several seasons that were less productive on paper in the prime of his career, as the Patriots enjoyed elite defensive play that allowed the team to slow down opponents. Brady’s achievements in those seasons were as a general, not a playmaker. 

To say that Mahomes has completely adopted this piloting role would also be misguided. He remains a dynamic talent and the Chiefs are not afraid of creative play calls. His statistics are perfectly reasonable for an elite quarterback. His failure to receive a Pro Bowl invitation is more a result of timing. 

As Mahomes takes a step back in the interest of his team’s thorough and fundamentally sound play, it just so happens that three extremely talented quarterbacks in his conference have all had to step up. The AFC’s top trio of MVP candidates are perpetually on the front line, integral performers each and every week. It’s the role that Mahomes has assumed for the majority of his career. It’s the one he assumed when his entire team infamously failed him in his only Super Bowl defeat in 2021.

When doling out individual honors, the NFL looks for players who have made a singularly valuable contribution to their team, primarily in the form of statistics and victories. In the playoffs, however, the teams that most often succeed are the ones with multiple ways to win. It seems like an increasingly distinct possibility that Mahomes and Kansas City gets the last laugh.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 on Christmas Day to clinch the first seed in the playoffs. Head coach Andy Reid made the announcement while dressed as Santa Claus, typical hijinks as Kansas City’s dynasty rolls on to another postseason.

“Merry Christmas! Proud of you, dudes. Proud of you,” Reid said in the locker room. “For the present, you get home field advantage.”

The Chiefs were never challenged in their Week 17 push against the Steelers, taking a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and never looking back. Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson showed flashes of his old style to keep the team in touch in the second quarter, but Kansas City’s defense dominated in the second half and snuffed out any chance of a comeback. 

After spending most of the season grinding out wins in defensive battles, the Chiefs have taken a notable step forward in recent weeks. The Texans and Steelers are both low-level playoff contenders in the AFC, and Kansas City earned commanding victories over both in Weeks 16 and 17. This doesn’t necessarily excuse a handful of lucky breaks earlier in the year, but it has done a lot to legitimize the team’s 15-1 record.

After suffering an ankle sprain in Week 15, many feared the worst for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. If anything, however, the three-time Super Bowl winner has been playing his best football all season since the setback. In the last two weeks, he has thrown for 580 yards and four touchdowns while also adding a score on the ground, a marked uptick in production during a largely slow and deliberate 2024 campaign.

While the defense continues to effectively contain opposing teams, the Chiefs’ offensive players around Mahomes also seem to finally be rounding into form. 

Every conversation about Mahomes’ offensive weapons must begin with tight end Travis Kelce. At age 35, Kelce has been managed by the team on and off all season in an obvious attempt to preserve the star for the postseason. 

When he has been called upon, however, Kelce has excelled in 2024. His target share increased immediately following an injury to wide receiver Rashee Rice earlier this season, and with a chance to clinch against the Steelers, he delivered again with seven catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. 

Kelce also set two milestones in the game against Pittsburgh, becoming the first Chiefs player to earn 1,000 career receptions while also passing fellow tight end Tony Gonzalez for most Chiefs receiving touchdowns with 77. 

To celebrate his fourth quarter score, Kelce emulated Gonzalez by dunking the ball over the goalpost, incurring a penalty and potential fine. Gonzalez, who said in November that he would pay Kelce’s fine if he used the dunk celebration, congratulated Kelce on social media and received a response.

“You know I had to show love to the greatest of all time!!” Kelce said. “you did mention you’d help me with the fine tho.”

Kelce is still the undisputed focal point of the Chiefs offense, but he’s far from alone. Wide receiver Hollywood Brown has hit the ground running since his return from injury in Week 16, earning 15 targets in two weeks. Rookie wideout Xavier Worthy has not failed to score a touchdown since Week 15, proving to be a consistent threat in the rushing game while expanding his role down the sidelines. DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster have taken a step back for other receivers but are still key threats.

After clinching the AFC’s top seed and a bye in the NFL Playoffs one week ahead of schedule, the Chiefs will likely sit key players in Week 18 and begin early preparations for the postseason. With back-to-back Super Bowl victories in hand, this team has the experience and talent to figure as the favorite to win yet another championship. Everything seems to be going their way.

The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly activating wide receiver Hollywood Brown from injured reserve this week. After missing three months with a shoulder injury, the flashy route runner could be available to make his long-awaited debut with the team in Week 16 against the Houston Texans on Saturday.

After moderately successful stints with the Ravens and Cardinals, Brown signed with Kansas City earlier this year and figured to be a dynamic option in the team’s offense. That plan evaporated when Brown suffered a shoulder joint injury in August, the first of many setbacks for a Chiefs offense that went on to lose stars like wide receiver Rashee Rice and running back Isiah Pacheco.

Despite startlingly inefficient play in a short-staffed offense, the Chiefs have still managed to secure a 13-1 record through elite coaching and defense. Pacheco is in the backfield again, and getting Brown up to speed for the playoffs could give the team better chances to score in games that count. His first few practices have reportedly been a positive sign that he is ready to return to game action.

Kansas City received more good injury news this week alongside Brown’s, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes is expected to be available to play in Week 16 despite a high ankle sprain he sustained against the Browns last weekend. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, and as long as he doesn’t aggravate the injury, he seems poised to lead the team in another deep postseason run.

On paper, Brown should slot into Kansas City’s existing scheme perfectly, acting as a complement for star veteran DeAndre Hopkins and young speedster Xavier Worthy. Tight end Travis Kelce is being managed in preparation for the playoffs but remains the Chiefs’ most targeted player. It’s unlikely that Brown will light up the score sheets in his first few games, but this offense isn’t as crowded as it seems. In time, he could become a valuable option down the sidelines.