Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs headlines for Tuesday, February 18
Eight biggest Super Bowl windows right now: Chiefs rank third; Packers crack top five | NFL.com
2024 record: 15-2
Do not let Kansas City’s disappointing performance in Super Bowl LIX overshadow the team’s dominance over the past six seasons. The Chiefs have appeared in five Super Bowls in that span, winning three Lombardi Trophies while transforming from a high-flying, aerial circus to a throwback squad that plays complementary football.
Given Kansas City’s evolution and impressive résumé (nine straight AFC West titles, seven straight AFC Championship Game appearances), the Chiefs must be considered top-tier title contenders with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes back to avenge a humiliating defeat on football’s biggest stage. Though the team must address the offensive line, upgrade the backfield and possibly replace Travis Kelce, No. 15’s presence ensures the offense will find a way to score enough points to win with or without elite firepower.
Defensively, the Chiefs will return a pair of elite players (DT Chris Jones and CB Trent McDuffie) and a host of key contributors (including DE George Karlaftis and LBs Leo Chenal, and Drue Tranquill), but the team must make hard decisions on whether to bring back Nick Bolton and Justin Reid on hefty contracts. Whoever’s on board, Kansas City’s D will apply plenty of heat on the opposition, with blitzing guru Steve Spagnuolo at the controls.
While GM Brett Veach and Reid have navigated these roads before, the path to Super Bowl LX will be challenging with a retooled roster on the horizon.
2025 NFL offseason: 17 WRs available in free agency or trades | ESPN
2024 stats: 9 catches, 91 yards (2 games with KC)
2024 salary: $7 million
Age entering 2025 season: 28
Signed to a one-year deal last offseason, Brown’s debut in Kansas City was waylaid by a shoulder injury suffered before the regular season. When he returned late in the season, he seemed to be a focal point of the offense with designed touches on a limited snap count, as he was targeted on a whopping 45% of his routes in a pair of Chiefs victories.
Brown’s role diminished in the postseason, however. His target rate dropped to 20%, and he turned his 65 routes into just 50 receiving yards. The hope was that he might be a downfield threat for the Chiefs, but he failed to catch any of the five deep targets thrown in his direction, including a back-shoulder possibility in which he stepped out of bounds and a deep ball that hit him in the hands.
2025 NFL franchise tag candidates: Will Sam Darnold get it? | ESPN
The Chiefs have a lengthy list of free agents they would prefer to retain, but a shortage of cap space makes it unlikely...
