Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs headlines for Monday, June 23
4) The Broncos will snap the Chiefs’ streak of nine straight AFC West championships.
The Chiefs have reigned over the division since 2016 and they’ve barely been challenged during most of the years that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been under center. Most of that success comes down to the Chiefs’ greatness but they’ve also been helped plenty by the ineptitude of the teams sharing the AFC West with them. Kansas City has been led by future Hall of Fame coach Andy Reid during that entire run of dominance. Every other team in the division has had at least four different head coaches within that same stretch. That churn appears to have slowed, though, with Pete Carroll (Raiders), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers) and Sean Payton (Broncos) now working in the AFC West. Of those three coaches — all of whom have either reached or won the Super Bowl — Payton is sitting on the most impressive team aside from the Chiefs. The Broncos have an elite defense, and it looks like they landed a franchise quarterback in Bo Nix in last year’s draft. We know Payton can coach up the offense, especially as the Broncos add more playmakers. We’ve also seen how Denver gave Kansas City fits last season in Arrowhead, with a blocked field goal keeping them from securing an impressive upset. Denver is good enough to win this division now. With the other teams also creating more resistance to the Chiefs — who went 5-1 in the AFC West after resting their starters in a Week 18 loss to the Broncos — Denver will earn its first crown since Peyton Manning was their quarterback.
NFL Players Returning From Injury We Can’t Wait to See in 2025 Training Camps | Bleacher Report
Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
As long as the Kansas City Chiefs have Andy Reid on the sideline and Patrick Mahomes under center, we’re going to enjoy watching them. However, the team’s 16th-ranked offense wasn’t quite as entertaining in 2024 as it has been in years past.
Part of the problem was a lack of difference-making targets at wide receiver. Kansas City saw flashes from then-rookie Xavier Worthy and got contributions from in-season addition DeAndre Hopkins.
However, the offense lost a lot when Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending LCL tear in Week 4.
At the time of the injury, the 25-year-old appeared to be on his way to being Mahomes’ newest go-to target. In less than four full games, he caught 24 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
At the end of Chiefs minicamp, Reid told reporters that both Rice and rookie tackle Josh Simmons should be healthy for the start of training camp, which will open on July 21.
“They’re both ready to...
