The Chiefs are facing real doubt from football media ahead of 2026
As a tried-and-true fan of the Kansas City Chiefs , there’s an unenjoyable thought that pops into my head, one that’s hard to shake. Maybe it’s happened for you recently, too. The question is simple: Is this how New England Patriots fans felt all those years? The past few years are really the first time I’ve truly empathized with the loud, obnoxious Patriots fans from the era of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady . It was boisterous, but why wouldn’t it be when winning is all a fan base knows for 20 years? Every doubt from fans and media alike seemed to spawn yet another chapter of New England ’s dominance. It was remarkable and, from a Chiefs fan’s perspective, also incredibly annoying. Now, the roles have reversed. The Chiefs are now the dynasty everyone is trying to knock off. Picking Kansas City to win it all has become a boring choice. Everyone is searching for the next contender. And, to be fair, the Chiefs didn’t do much to quiet that narrative with a 6-11 performance last season. Add in an offseason that saw several key pieces depart, and some skepticism is only natural. What has surprised me is the level of it. People I consider thoughtful football minds, not exactly “hot take” artists, aren’t just doubting the Chiefs this year. They’re outright dismissing them. Connor Orr recently left Kansas City off his list of the 14 teams capable of winning the Super Bowl this year . That’s not a typo. He identified nearly half the league as legitimate title contenders, and the Chiefs were not among the group. Here’s the gist of his explanation: Th e league feels a bit more wide open than it did during the stretch when we could just pencil in the Chiefs to the AFC championship game and likely beyond… The Chiefs have, unquestionably, one of the two best quarterbacks in the NFL. They may very well win 11 or 12 games this season. But I don’t see how they can simply replace the losses of Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie while also running back essentially the same version of the offensive line for another year, especially if the team’s most significant offensive upgrade was at the running back position. .. The addition of Kenneth Walker III isn’t going to simply change the complexion of Kansas City’s offense, and even when Eric Bieniemy was previously the Chiefs’ OC, there was a failed attempt to create a more diverse, downhill running scheme to protect Patrick Mahomes. Orr isn’t alone. This has become one of the defining themes of the offseason. Another analyst I respect, Frank Schwab, recently ranked the Chiefs as just the 12th-best team in his NFL offseason power rankings . Putting the Chiefs at No. 12 is uncomfortable. .. But suddenly there are questions. There’s no bankable player in the Chiefs’ offense aside from Mahomes. KC’s defense has to be much better and is relying on rookies to fill key roles. Mahomes’ injury has become a non-story through the offseason but maybe it will be an ongoing issue. While it’s scary, we’re not picking the Chiefs to win the AFC West, though a return to the playoffs seems reasonable even if it won’t result in another Super Bowl trip. And that type of season wouldn’t get us much closer to an answer about whether the dynasty is still alive. The questions are legitimate. I have no idea how the wide receiver room is going to shake out. I’m not sure what the cornerback situation will ultimately look like. There are reasons for optimism, and if everyone stays healthy, I believe both position groups should be more than capable. But neither comes with any guarantees. The concerns about the defensive line aren’t going away, either. This team struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks last season, and the only notable upgrades to the front seven are a run-stuffing nose tackle and a pair of rookies. It might be enough. But skepticism is understandable. What I don’t understand, though, is why so many otherwise rational NFL analysts continue pointing to the offens [... truncated ...]
