Some would say the Kansas City have already built a dynasty, winning back-to-back Super Bowls and three in the last five years. But whether they’re retaining or earning their dynasty distinction, Andy Reid knows the Chiefs must continue battling as if they were at the bottom of the totem pole.
Coming off of another championship, Kansas City could entering training camp resting on their laurels. But Reid knows that isn’t the team’s character. They’ve built a culture of wanting to work and wanting to get better. Everyone in the building’s drive to improve – no matter how good things have been – is what for Reid sets the Chiefs apart, via the team’s official Tuesday transcript, h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com.
“Yea [Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce] are great with it. That’s what I’ve been saying before we had the break,” Reid said. “I appreciate that leadership, Chris Jones, [Nick] Bolton, I mean these guys have been around here, they do a nice job. When players start helping players out and helping them understand what’s going on, normally you have a pretty good thing going and these guys, we’re lucky to have their leadership.”
“They go 100 miles an hour, and they make everybody around them go 100 miles an hour,” Reid continued. “While the coaches are kicking them a little bit, the players are kicking them, and that peer pressure, there’s nothing like that.”
Andy Reid knows a thing or two about leadership after coaching in the NFL for 25 years. Since joining the Chiefs, he has led Kansas City to a 128-51 record on top of the three Super Bowls. While he has been blessed with talent like Mahomes, Kelce and Jones, he has still had to mold the team into a winner.
All eyes will be on the Chiefs as they look for a championship three-peat. With the leaders and over roster Kansas City possess, Reid is confident his team can manage the bright lights.
No team in NFL history has ever won three Super Bowls in a row. For any dynasty doubters, Reid and company could certainly shut them up in the 2024-25 season. If the Chiefs are going to make history, they need to continue their consistently explosive pace on both sides of the ball.
With Mahomes and Kelce leading the way, it’s no shock that Kansas City has one of the best offenses in the league. In 2022, the Chiefs ranked first in total offense by averaging 413. yards per game. They came down to ninth in 2023 (351.3) but that was with Mahomes having some questionable receiving options; and they still went on to win it all.
Now Mahomes will have rookie Xavier Worthy and veteran Hollywood Brown at his disposal, on top of Kelce. Opposing defenses know they’re in for a challenge whenever they play the Chiefs. It’ll always be circled on their calendar. But if Mahomes and company can stay up to their standards, they’ll be a tough matchup for anybody.
As the classic phrase goes though, defense wins championships. Kansas City hasn’t lacked in that department either, ranking 11th in 2022 by allowing 328.2 YPG. The Chiefs elevated even further in 2023, ranking second by allowing 289.8 YPG.
While the offensive stars may get the headliners, Kansas City has plenty of heavy hitters on defense. They may have lost L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, but Jones, Bolton, George Karlaftis, Justin Reid and others should all make an impact. Finishing top five in defense would surely put the Chiefs on a Super Bowl trajectory again.
But for all their stats, Andy Reid knows Kansas City’s biggest strength will be their unity. Everyone on the roster has to be willing to but in their work for the team to achieve their goals. With the past two seasons proving Reid’s point, the head coach has made his expectations clear entering the 2024 campaign.