The Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the NFL over the last several years. They’ve played in five of the last six Super Bowls, winning three of them. That’s dynasty-level success, no question about it.
But sustaining that level of dominance takes more than just talent on the field — it takes a coaching staff that can evolve and stay ahead of the curve. The Chiefs have had both, but last year’s lopsided Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles might become a bit of a wake-up call for this era’s dynasty.
According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, the 2025 Chiefs might have some soul-searching to do, and that starts with Andy Reid and his offense.
“But the Chiefs had a coaching problem they couldn't solve in 2024: how to get explosive gains out of their offense,” Solak wrote. “The early-season injury to Rashee Rice and diminished athleticism of Travis Kelce left them without reliable receivers over the middle of the field, and the offense turtled. Thirty-two percent of Patrick Mahomes' pass attempts were to targets behind the line of scrimmage -- only Tua Tagovailoa outpaced him. And 10.7% of Mahomes' attempts created explosive gains -- the lowest number of his career.”
Seeing a somewhat regressed Mahomes was definitely not on anyone’s bingo card heading into last season — not with history on the line and the chance to become the first team to three-peat. But it wasn’t just Mahomes.
“The Chiefs' receivers struggled with downfield tracking, and the team's poor offensive tackle play made sustained pass protection a challenge,” Solak wrote. “But it was also a coaching choice, as Reid and Nagy remained married to their spread-style, RPO-heavy base offense. Could the Chiefs get under center more and scheme up some longer dropbacks with deeper-developing route concepts? Even if the pass catchers return to full health this season, 2024 proved the system could do with a touch of tinkering.”
Reid is still widely considered one of the best offensive minds in football, so it’s surprising to hear this kind of critique — even if it’s grounded in stats and trends. Still, Solak ranked the Chiefs with the second-best coaching staff in the NFL, dropping one spot from last year, with Matt Nagy and Steve Spagnuolo still in tow.
“The staff in Kansas City is still remarkable. But this is an important year,” Solak concluded.
And in case you’re wondering who dethroned them? That would be the Minnesota Vikings.