The Kansas City Chiefs were one victory away from making Super Bowl history. Unfortunately, Andy Reid’s club just wasn’t up to the task against the talented Philadelphia Eagles at the Superdome. The club’s 40-22 setback to the Birds was stunning in the aspect that a team that finished 15-2 during the regular season and managed to reach a third consecutive Super Bowl appeared overwhelmed by Nick Sirianni’s club on Super Sunday.
The Chiefs have now appeared in five of the last six Super Bowls. This time around, they came up short. There have only been three occasions that a team has lost on Super Sunday, then bounced back to hoist a Lombardi Trophy the following season. The last to do it was the Patriots, who lost LII to the Eagles in 2017, then beat the Rams in LIII in 2018.
Biggest Positive from 2024
The team’s first-round pick last April, wide receiver Xavier Worthy, really came into his own as the season unfolded. General manager Brett Veach traded up to get the University of Texas speedster. He finished second on the team in catches (59) and receiving yards (638).
Worthy not only led the club in touchdown grabs (6), but paced the club in total touchdowns (9). He ran 20 times for 104 yards and three TDs during the regular season. In the team’s three-game playoff run, Worthy led the Chiefs with 19 catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns. That includes eight grabs for 157 yards and two scores in Super Bowl LIX.
Potential UFA that needs to be re-signed
Pro Football Focus ranked the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line No. 7 in the league in 2024. Some may find that hard to believe considering how this unit was pushed around in Super Bowl LIX. More on that later. Veach has some tough decisions to make as the team has 20 veteran performers that could become unrestricted free agents in mid-March.
The biggest name on the list is four-year pro Trey Smith. The 2021 sixth-round pick from Tennessee was an immediate starter and enjoyed his first Pro Bowl campaign. Smith is PFF’s 14th-ranked guard. However, the 6’6”, 321-pound standout ranks 10th in regards to run blocking.
Needs Fixing
The offensive line has had its issues in recent years, most notably at the tackle spots. There’s plenty of talent on the inside with guards Joe Thuney and Trey Smith—the former wound up at left tackle late in 2024 and in the playoffs)—as well as reliable center Creed Humphrey. Still, the offense was less-than-imposing in both 2023 and ’24.
The Chiefs’ defense under Steve Spagnuolo really paved the way for the team’s Super Bowl LVIII title. The franchise has not used a first-round pick on an offensive lineman since 2013. That was Reid’s first season with the team, and it used the first overall pick on tackle Eric Fisher.