Four Ways the Kansas City Chiefs Must Revive Their Dying Dynasty After Nightmare 2025

When the Kansas City Chiefs were being mauled by the Philadelphia Eagles last February at Super Bowl LIX, onlookers claimed that the dynasty was over. Yes, that dynasty, the one that'd been to five Super Bowls in six years, winning three of them. But even KC's harshest critic couldn't have imagined what was to come.

Six and eleven. That was the best record that Patrick Mahomes and Co. could muster up throughout the 2025 season. The miserable effort saw the Chiefs slide to third in the AFC West, thoroughly outclassed by their divisional rivals in Denver – the AFC's top seed – and Los Angeles. Now, Andy Reid, Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and even Taylor Swift will watch on from home, while their two biggest adversaries head into the playoffs with online betting sites positioning them as contenders.

The latest NFL odds in the United States make the Broncos a +675 third favourite to claim the Lombardi. The Chargers, meanwhile, are a much more modest +3000, but they will argue to those at Arrowhead that you have to be in it to win it, something that the Chiefs most certainly are not.

So, if they plan on keeping the dynasty alive and returning to the postseason picture in 2026, where do the Chiefs need to improve? Let's take a look.

Get a Real Running Back

Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt combined to give Andy Reid the offensive firepower of a spatula throughout 2025. The former managed just 462 yards on 118 carries—that's 3.9 yards per attempt. The latter somehow conspired to muster up even worse numbers at 3.8 yards per carry.

But the most damning statistic for both of them? Mahomes averaged 6.6 yards per carry himself, finishing with just 40 yards fewer than Pacheco, despite half the attempts. Your scrambling quarterback shouldn't be your best runner, but it's clear that the face of the Chiefs franchise lived and died by the rule "if you want a job done properly, do it yourself." His side ranked 25th in rushing at 106.6 yards per game, resulting in the three-time Super Bowl champion shouldering more and more responsibility.

The metrics confirmed that this disaster wasn't just personnel – it was schematic. Reid kept calling runs up the middle into stacked fronts, like he was proving a point nobody asked for. You need a dynamic back who can threaten the edge and force safeties to respect the run. With KC on the board at number nine overall in April's draft, don't be surprised to see top prospect Jeremiyah Love on his way to Arrowhead in the first round.

Find Someone Who Can Actually Rush the Passer

The pass rush was just as embarrassing. Kansas City tied for 22nd with 35 sacks, and here's the brutal part: Chris Jones and George Karlaftis accounted for 11 of them. Charles Omenihu was third with 3.5 sacks. Nobody else managed more than two. When your 32-year-old defensive tackle carrying a $44.85 million cap hit is your only threat, you're asking for trouble.

The defense ranked 6th in points allowed and 10th in yards, which sounds fine until you realise they couldn't get off the field when it mattered. Opponents converted third downs at will because quarterbacks had cleaner pockets than a pressed suit. Film breakdowns showed both Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence sitting back there reading War and Peace before picking apart the secondary in victories for the Chargers and Jaguars.

Veach needs to put serious capital—first-round pick or top-tier free agent money—into an edge rusher who can win one-on-ones. Jones can't carry this burden alone, and Karlaftis needs a running mate. Without one, watch this defense crumble late in games.

Rebuild That Offensive Line Before It's Too Late

While Kansas City by no means deserved to be anywhere near the playoffs this season, they certainly weren't helped by a catastrophic run of injuries. Josh Simmons went down with a dislocated, fractured wrist. Jawaan Taylor tore his triceps. Wanya Morris hurt his knee on the first offensive play against Houston. By Week 14, they were down to their fifth offensive tackle.

But injuries alone don't explain the systematic failure. Mahomes took 34 sacks across 14 games, continuing a trend of 36 sacks the year before. The Chiefs signed Trey Smith and hoped Kingsley Suamataia would develop, but when injuries hit, depth evaporated.

Taylor's now 31 and injury-prone. Moore and Morris aren't starter material. The right tackle position needs a complete overhaul with actual NFL-calibre depth instead of practice-squad bodies. You can't keep slapping Band-Aids on broken bones and expecting Mahomes to continuously find his way out of collapsing pockets.

Figure Out the Kicker Situation

Harrison Butker had the worst season of his career in 2025, and his woes cost the Chiefs numerous wins. Five missed field goals. Four missed extra points. Critical misses in one-possession losses to the Chargers and Broncos. That 43-yarder he shanked against Houston with just over a minute left. If he had made them, KC may well have owned their tickets to the dance.

When you lose six games by one score or fewer, every kick matters. Butker also went out of bounds on kickoffs against Jacksonville and failed to reach the landing zone against Denver. That's a disastrous return for what was supposed to be one of the NFL's most reliable boots. Veach now needs to bring in serious competition in the offseason – a legitimate threat who can push Butker to the limit.