Things are looking good for the Kansas City Chiefs. Over the past three years, the franchise drafted a young superstar in Patrick Mahomes, made it to the AFC Championship Game twice, and won their first title in 50 years. Winning championships is obviously a difficult task, but the Chiefs appear to be set to dominate for a long time. With Tom Brady and the New England Patriots showing signs of slowing down, one must question whether the Kansas City Chiefs can be the next great NFL dynasty.
Could the Kansas City Chiefs Be the NFL’s Next Dynasty
Why They Are
You can’t build an annual contender without having elite pairing of quarterback and head coach. These two elements play the biggest part in winning football games, and having a top duo means that the team should contend on an annual basis. Whether it’s Tom Brady and Bill Belichick or Joe Montana/Steve Young and Bill Walsh, all of the NFL’s best dynasties possessed this all-important grouping.
The Chiefs figure to continue this tradition with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Reid could very well be the greatest offensive mind in the league and is second to none and scheming up open, quarterback-friendly throws downfield. Any quarterback could have some level of success in this offense, and pairing Reed with a quarterback of Mahomes’ caliber simply isn’t fair. Blessed with an absurd amount of arm talent, Mahomes can reach any part of the field and throw the ball on a dime. His pocket awareness has dramatically increased since his collegiate days and he should be the NFL’s best passer for years to come.
Having a great quarterback and coach is nice, but they can’t do it alone. Fortunately, the Chiefs have several key pieces locked up for the long term. Tyreek Hill is under contract through 2022 while Travis Kelce and Mitchell Schwartz will be around until 2021. These pieces ensure Kansas City will have an elite offense for years to come and should have the firepower to match any opposing offense.
Why They Aren’t
Winning in the NFL is an absurdly hard thing to do, especially in today’s day and age. Free agency and the salary cap were designed to give every team an equal chance of winning each and every year, making sustained success nearly impossible. The Patriots managed to buck the trend and remain relevant for over two decades, but nobody else has managed to pull off the feat. Remember when the Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to be the NFL’s next unstoppable juggernaut?
Since 2018, the Kansas City Chiefs have had the greatest competitive advantage in football: an elite quarterback on a rookie contract. Mahomes has provided unparalleled production at a fraction of his market cost, which allowed the Chiefs to add some luxuries at other positions. Mahomes is going to get extended in the coming months, and he’s going to be worth every penny. However, thanks to the salary cap, the Chiefs probably won’t be able to afford players like Sammy Watkins or perhaps Chris Jones. Even if those players do end up sticking around, it will come at the expense of depth across the roster.
Kansas City can obviously win with Mahomes making what he’s worth, but their margin for error drops considerably. Only time will tell the organization can consistently hit on free agency and the draft when those moves become far more important.
Bottom Line on the Kansas City Chiefs Dynasty
Will the Kansas City Chiefs be the NFL’s next dynasty? It all depends on how you define “dynasty”. Chances are, the Chiefs won’t be able to perfectly replicate New England’s 20-year run of dominance. Modern free agency makes it nearly impossible to retain all your core players while building up depth, so there’s going to be a handful of relative down years during the Patrick Mahomes Era.
That said, the Chiefs look like the team to beat for the foreseeable future. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league, and Andy Reid is the NFL’s greatest offensive mind. Even as teams across the league start to get smarter and smarter, it’s hard to imagine anyone matching this level of excellence any time soon. As long as Patrick Mahomes is under center and Andy Reid is calling the shots, the Chiefs should be annual favorites to hoist the Lombardi.
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