There’s no doubt that the Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a very tough season after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. On top of that, they surrendered the AFC West crown to the Denver Broncos, who finished as the conference’s No. 1 seed. It was undoubtedly a hard blow for Patrick Mahomes and his squad.
It marks the worst record of the Patrick Mahomes era in Kansas City, with the team managing just six wins during the season. It was also a forgettable year for one of their franchise legends, Travis Kelce. To make matters worse, in their Week 14 matchup against the Chargers – when the Chiefs were fighting for their playoff lives – Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in his left knee.
Recent reports indicate that Patrick Mahomes is progressing well in his rehabilitation and could be available for Week 1. Even so, this still creates uncertainty, as this type of injury can be devastating. Therefore, despite optimism about his recovery, patience will be key.
Patrick Mahomes has carried the AFC
Despite the tremendous quarterback talent in the AFC – including Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow, among others – the only one who has truly carried the conference has been Patrick Mahomes. From 2019 to the present, the AFC has won the Super Bowl three times, and on each occasion, it was the Kansas City Chiefs.
During that same span, the NFC has claimed four championships, and unlike the AFC, each title was won by a different team: the Buccaneers, Rams, Eagles, and most recently, the Seattle Seahawks. Notably, both Tampa Bay and Philadelphia defeated the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
So even though many argue that the Chiefs are in decline – and there may be some truth to that – they remain the team that has represented the AFC on the biggest stage. The last AFC champion that wasn’t Kansas City was the New England Patriots led by Tom Brady in 2018, when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl.
That same season, the Patriots defeated Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs in an epic AFC Championship Game that was decided in overtime. So despite the issues in Kansas City, the team cannot be counted out as long as the Texas Tech product remains their quarterback.