Kansas City Chiefs fatigue is real. The surprising buyer's market for Super Bowl LIX tickets showed that.
Here's the truth most of America doesn't want to hear: There's no reason the Chiefs can't go to a fourth straight Super Bowl.
The way the Chiefs were dominated in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday puts a damper on a historic 15-win regular season and another AFC championship, but Kansas City shouldn't be close to the end of its run.
"I feel like we're going to be back," said receiver Xavier Worthy, who finished his rookie season with two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. "Use this as fuel, use this as motivation."
Kansas City might be without Travis Kelce going forward — the tight end was contemplating retirement leading up to the Super Bowl, and wasn't asked about it afterward — and there are some free agents whom the Chiefs will be challenged to retain. But it's a fairly young roster for a franchise that has been to the Super Bowl five times in six seasons.
Besides, how far will any team with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid really slip?
The Chiefs have become the gold standard among NFL franchises. While many fans are hoping for new blood in the Super Bowl, Kansas City is set up well to keep rolling.
"We'll learn from this," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the Super Bowl.
Patrick Mahomes is still in his prime
Mahomes will turn 30 in September, and while Sunday night was ugly for him, he's still well within his prime. And the Chiefs will probably work on getting him help this offseason. The loss to the Eagles showed that's needed.
The Chiefs will be getting back receiver Rashee Rice, who had emerged as a true No. 1 option before blowing out his ACL early this past season. Rice could be suspended for his role in a car crash last offseason, but the Chiefs will welcome him back. The Chiefs' receiver room will need to be addressed with Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins about to become free agents. The Kelce question is important too, though Noah Gray has had some promising moments at tight end. But Rice and 2024 first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy give the Chiefs a good head start.
Running back could be a priority in the draft or free agency. Kareem Hunt did a reasonable job this season, and perhaps Isiah Pacheco will bounce back after coming back from a broken fibula this season and struggling upon his return. It might help to get Mahomes an upgrade at running back. An offensive line that was crushed by Philadelphia also needs to be addressed.
Of course, the Chiefs don't have endless resources, and there will be other questions to answer.
Chiefs' key free agents
The Chiefs have important players about to hit free agency.
Guard Trey Smith might be the toughest to re-sign, as a young player at a position that's growing in value. Smith could be one of the highest-paid players in this free-agent class. Linebacker Nick Bolton is also about to cash in, whether it's in Kansas City or elsewhere, though he said after the Super Bowl that Kansas City feels like home.
Others like pass rusher Charles Omenihu and safety Justin Reid are about to become free agents as well. The Chiefs can't re-sign everyone. They're 21st in the NFL in projected salary-cap space, at an estimated $15.7 million under the cap. They can clear up more with restructures, but they probably won't have enough to sign a lot of outside help in free agency.
That's probably OK. The defense has been rebuilt through good drafts, making it a young unit overall. The Chiefs benefit from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo being passed over again in the head-coach hiring cycle. He is one of the best defensive coordinators ever and a big reason the Chiefs have taken a big step on defense the past two seasons. Perhaps there's some question about Chris Jones, who will be 31 next season and saw a drop to five sacks this past season, but there's no real reason to believe he's in steep decline.
The Chiefs will probably have roster attrition due to free agency. Kelce could retire, which would leave a big hole even as his production has been dropping. The Chiefs are also getting a bigger challenge in the division as the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers took steps forward this past season. The AFC as a whole is tough.
But the Chiefs' dynasty doesn't look like it's nearing its end, regardless of how the Super Bowl turned out.
