Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be examining every team in the NFL, in order of projected 2025 win totals. Up next: the Chiefs.
It was easy to see the Kansas City Chiefs had significant problems on the offensive line with how frequently the Eagles’ vaunted defensive line swarmed Patrick Mahomes Super Bowl LIX. Philadelphia sacked Mahomes six times, the most sacks he had ever taken in a regular-season or postseason game.
It was probably apparent to the front office long before the 40–22 loss in New Orleans that drastic changes were needed for Mahomes to have a dominant offense once again. For two seasons, the greatness of Mahomes and coach Andy Reid masked the team’s issues, ranging from injuries to skill players to fatigue to aging players, allowing the Chiefs to flirt with history.
The Super Bowl three-peat didn’t come to pass, but the Chiefs again appear to be evolving, which could keep them in the mix as contenders in the stacked AFC. The team boldly traded All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the Bears and added offensive tackles Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore.
Also, tight end Travis Kelce is back for a 13th season, and star defensive tackle Chris Jones is coming off another dominant year. With roster upgrades and the core group intact, Kansas City could reestablish dominance after a sluggish 2024 season—at least by their high standards.
Let’s take a closer look at the Chiefs.
What’s at stake this season: Reestablishing dominance
The aura of the Chiefs took a hit with the embarrassing loss to the Eagles.
There’s new hope for the other AFC contenders, including Josh Allen’s Bills and Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, that this could be their year to advance to the Super Bowl. The Chargers and Broncos reloaded in the offseason, too, in hopes of ending the Chiefs’ nine-year reign as AFC West champions.
While many harped on the Chiefs’ aging core group, the team made drastic changes to improve the roster and provide help for Kelce, who will turn 36 in October, and Jones, who recently turned 31. They also re-signed key players such as offensive guard Trey Smith (on the franchise tag), linebacker Nick Bolton and wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
The offense should be better with a healthy Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy having a year of experience under his belt. More importantly, Mahomes remains in his prime, and Reid usually finds a way to tweak his offensive scheme for the better.
The Chiefs should contend for another Super Bowl, but they’ll have something to prove after a down 2024 season.
Biggest question going into training camp: Was trading Thuney the right move?
Reid was outcoached by Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in the Super Bowl. There were no adjustments made for slowing Philly’s four-man pass rush, making it clear to the front office that changes were needed on the offensive line.
The team made the bold decision to part with Thuney, one of the best guards of the past decade. The Chiefs have a reputation for moving on from players a year early rather than a year too late, a method that has helped them sustain long-term success, including the trades of Tyreek Hill and L’Jarius Sneed.
For the gamble to pay off, the Chiefs will need guard Mike Caliendo and Moore, the new left tackle, to be serviceable full-time starters. Caliendo filled in late last season when Thuney moved to left tackle. Moore showed flashes of being a gem in the opportunities he got while filling in for Trent Williams in San Francisco, but he’s never started more than five games in a season.
There’s also the inconsistent play of right tackle Jawaan Taylor, but the team added depth at tackle with the first-round selection of Simmons, who’s working his way back from a torn patellar tendon in his knee.
Plenty needs to go right for Mahomes’s retooled offensive line, but it helps to have All-Pro center Creed Humphrey and Smith, a Pro Bowler last season.
Sources are saying: Mahomes still the best
There’s been some chatter about Mahomes possibly no longer being the best quarterback in the league after a sluggish 2024 regular season. However, the pack of Allen, Jackson and Joe Burrow still hasn’t caught up to Mahomes, according to an NFL offensive coach.
“It wasn’t his fault they lost that Super Bowl. … I would still take Mahomes No. 1.”
Breakout player candidate/X-factor: Rice back from injury
The Chiefs’ offense wasn’t the same after Rice sustained his season-ending knee injury in Week 4. He’s the one wide receiver on this team capable of quickly getting open and making plays in the intermediate game.
Without Rice’s skill set, Mahomes struggled to generate downfield shots for Brown and Worthy. It also didn’t help that Kelce was a step slower last season and running back Isiah Pacheco was sidelined for a sizable chunk of the season with a fractured fibula. Rice is the key to making this offense scary again.
Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking: 1
Kansas City has the league’s best quarterback and best coach with Mahomes and Reid. Over the past six seasons, the Chiefs have reached the Super Bowl five times and won three championships, authoring the NFL’s latest dynasty. In that span, Mahomes has won two MVPs and three Super Bowl MVPs, while Reid has become the fourth-winningest coach in league history. —Matt Verderame
Fantasy pick: Rice could make some noise
Rice had all the looks of a breakout player last season, averaging 7.3 targets and 16.2 fantasy points per game before injuring his knee. Had he kept up that pace for a full 17 games, Rice would have finished with more fantasy points than Malik Nabers. He’s looked good in OTAs and should have no issues as training camp opens, so I’m thinking Rice could make some real fantasy noise in 2025. He has top-10 fantasy potential among wideouts. —Michael Fabiano
Best bet: To win AFC West (-110) via FanDuel
It’s been a while since we’ve been able to bet the Chiefs to win their division at -110, but oddsmakers expect the Chargers and/or Broncos to challenge the nine-time defending AFC West champions in 2025. I’m not ready to buy into the Chargers or Broncos winning the division. The Chiefs still have the best QB-coach tandem in the league, and a 10th consecutive division title is on the horizon for them. —Iain McMillan
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 32 Teams in 32 Days: Chiefs Looking to Reestablish Dominance After Sluggish 2024.
