Chiefs Power Rankings season is in full swing, and nobody knows what to expect from a team that is coming off their first underwhelming campaign in over a decade. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid have dominated the league together since 2018, winning three Super Bowls and making it to at least the AFC Championship Game for seven straight seasons. However, the wheels fell off the wagon in 2025, as the team missed the playoffs and Mahomes tore his ACL in mid-December.
While the two-time MVP quarterback is on pace to return for the start of the 2026 regular season, this team is, on paper, the weakest we’ve seen since Mahomes took over as the team’s starting quarterback. While it’s never wise to bet against future Hall of Famers in Mahomes and Reid, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Sobleski isn’t high on the team heading into 2026, ranking them as the 17th-best team in the league.
“From a roster standpoint, Kansas City isn’t significantly better today than it was a year ago,” Sobleski writes. “Kenneth Walker III’s addition should help balance the offense and place a greater emphasis on the Chiefs’ ground game. Otherwise, this squad has a lot to prove and shouldn’t be viewed as a Super Bowl contender.”
Chiefs Power Rankings: KC Comes In 17th, Not A Super Bowl Contender
Everyone knows how good Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid can be when they’re at their best, but this season will likely be the hardest of the duo’s career. On the offensive side of the ball, Mahomes is recovering from an ACL injury and will probably need some time to recapture his elusive style of play. The two-time NFL MVP can still be effective from the pocket, but he’ll be more reliant on his pass-catching weapons than ever before.
This is not a good thing, as Kansas City’s pass-catching weapons leave something to be desired. Rashee Rice is a good player when on the field, but the former second-round pick cannot stay out of trouble. Travis Kelce, meanwhile, is still an above-average tight end, but the future Hall of Famer has lost a step and is no longer the unstoppable force he was at the peak of his career.
The Chiefs may have to rely on defenses to win games, which is not a good thing. Kansas City lost several key members of the defense in the offseason, including starting cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. While the team invested a first-round pick in LSU’s Mansoor Delane, the rookie cannot replace two players, and asking him to immediately play at McDuffie’s level is probably asking too much.
Add to this the fact that Chris Jones may be in his final year with the team. Much like Kelce, the defensive tackle is still an above-average starter, but he started to show signs of slowing down last year. Now on the wrong side of 30, the former second-round pick is likely much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. While the team used a first-round pick on Clemson’s Peter Woods, they still might have issues with the front seven.
Chiefs Power Rankings ultimately don’t mean too much, as only time will tell how good this team actually is. However, it’s a fun way to pass the time while waiting for the games to start.
Main Photo: Denny Medley – Imagn Images
