The Kansas City Chiefs secured a second Super Bowl title in four years on Sunday night, and there are several good reasons to believe they can be the first back-to-back NFL champions since 2005.
The Chiefs are once again the top team in the NFL after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale Arizona last night. While the team had to overcome several hurdles, including a missed field goal by Harrison Butker, an outstanding performance from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the questionable health of their own QB, they showed why they are the best team in football.
The organization will celebrate their efforts and hard work during the 2022-2023 NFL season over the next few months, but it won’t be long before they must shift gears and look to defend their title next season. Something they were unable to do after winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl in 2019.
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However, while it has not been done in nearly two decades, the Kansas City Chiefs have all the right things going for them that make repeating as champs very possible. Let’s take a look at four reasons why the Chiefs are favorites to win it all again next season.
Patrick Mahomes is the ultimate trump card for the Chiefs
More than ever before, QB play is what separates Super Bowl pretenders from real-deal contenders. When you have the best player in the position under center for your team, it guarantees Kansas City will be in serious contention to be champions again in 2024.
Tom Brady’s place as the greatest QB of all time is set, however, Patrick Mahomes is on pace to challenge that claim in the coming years. What is truly remarkable about the Chiefs signal-caller is that he has two NFL MVPs, two Super Bowl MVPs, and a couple of championships under his belt and he is only 27 years old.
Despite losing one of his best weapons during the offseason, Mahomes still had an elite season in 2022 and there is no reason to expect anything less in 2023. When you have the best player at the most important position in sports — who isn’t even in his prime — the Chiefs are perfectly lined up to win the Super Bowl again in 2024.
The majority of the Super Bowl LVII-winning roster is back in 2023
It is so difficult to repeat as champions in the NFL because the roster turnover is so constant. Furthermore, it is also common practice for rival teams to poach players from the Super Bowl winner’s roster. That is sure to happen again this offseason, but the majority of the Kansas City Chiefs’ core will be back next season.
The most notable free agents Kansas City has this offseason are four-time Pro Bowl lineman Orlando Brown and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Brown is expected to be franchise-tagged again next season, and while Smith-Schuster had a good game on Sunday, he is a player that can be replaced in NFL free agency or the draft.
The Los Angeles Rams had trouble repeating as champions this season due to losing several key players in the offseason, but that won’t be the case for Kansas City.
Kansas City Chiefs rookies will be another year better
The Kansas City Chiefs were just the fourth team in NFL history to use 10 rookies in a Super Bowl. The last time that happened was in 1981. And Chiefs’ rookies accounted for 418 snaps in the AFC Championship Game, which was the second most by rookies in a playoff game over the last 15 seasons. That is a stunning nugget of information for a team that went on to win Super Bowl LVII.
Usually having rookies in key positions sinks a team’s championship prospects. However, the Chiefs overcame that and actually received major contributions from the likes of Isiah Pacheco, George Karlaftis, L’Jarius Sneed, and Trent McDuffie this season. All four were also starters in the Super Bowl.
Those players and several others were pivotal in Kansas City’s title run and will only get better next season. That is a scary thought.
Andy Reid and top coordinators likely back next season
For a dynasty team like the Kansas City Chiefs, holding on to the key members of the coaching staff is nearly impossible. The success that top coordinators have on title contenders almost always leads to head coaching opportunities with other franchises. However, unfortunately for Eric Bieniemy and Steve Spagnuolo, but fortunately for the Chiefs, both top coordinators will likely be back in 2023.
While there are some rumblings that head coach Andy Reid may ponder retirement after this season, assuming he does return, the ability to return the top three coaches from a championship team is extremely rare and a massive boost to the Chiefs’ championship aspirations next season.