{"id":34418,"date":"2025-02-15T12:20:58","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T12:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=34418"},"modified":"2025-02-15T12:20:58","modified_gmt":"2025-02-15T12:20:58","slug":"how-the-kansas-city-chiefs-can-rebuild-after-super-bowl-shock-and-come-back-stronger-next-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=34418","title":{"rendered":"How the Kansas City Chiefs can rebuild after Super Bowl shock and come back stronger next season"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Kansas City Chiefs went into Super Bowl LIX last weekend dreaming of a \u201cthree-peat\u201d. They left it with questions over whether they will be able to get back to the NFL\u2019s showpiece game any time soon.<\/p>\n

The shellacking they were dealt by the Philadelphia Eagles in a 40-22 loss in New Orleans\u00a0was so emphatic that it exposed several holes within the Chiefs\u2019 roster.<\/p>\n

Kansas City had eked out close win after close win to finish the 2024 regular season with an AFC-best 15-2 record. But the dominance the Eagles exerted over them at the Super Bowl retrospectively colours those wins differently.<\/p>\n

Maybe what we thought were the kind of gritty victories upon which championships are founded were in fact dice rolls that could easily have left the Chiefs narrow losers and middle-of-the-pack playoff contenders.<\/p>\n

Quarterback\u00a0Patrick Mahomes\u00a0was sacked a career-high six times by Philadelphia\u2019s rampant defensive front, further emphasising the Chiefs\u2019 long-apparent need for improvement at offensive tackle.<\/p>\n

They also failed to establish their run game, picking up just 49 total rushing yards, 25 of which were generated by Mahomes. And only one wide receiver \u2013 rookie Xavier Worthy, whose two late touchdowns when the game was effectively over bumped his total up to 157 yards \u2013 managed more than 40 receiving yards.<\/p>\n

So for a team who were so one game away from immortality in the form of an unprecedented third successive Super Bowl triumph, the Chiefs front office now has plenty of work to do this offseason.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest lingering questions is over star tight end Travis Kelce\u2019s future<\/a>. The six-time All-Pro pass-catcher has been one of the main drivers of Kansas City\u2019s recent success.<\/p>\n

But the 35-year-old is coming off the worst statistical season of his career, after what was already a sub-par season in 2023.<\/p>\n

“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year. And right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road,” Kelce has said.<\/p>\n

“I’m kicking every can I can down the road and I’m not making any crazy decisions.<\/p>\n

“Right now, the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that there’s a lot that goes into this thing.”<\/p>\n

Losing a player of Kelce\u2019s calibre and proven playoff pedigree would be a difficult pill to swallow. But it might also be for the best.<\/p>\n

The Chiefs are projected to have around $11.5 million in cap space this offseason, the ninth-lowest in the league. They\u2019d be able to add another $17 million to that figure if Kelce were to retire.<\/p>\n

If Kelce can recapture his best form, then he\u2019d be a huge asset in the Chiefs\u2019 plans to get back to the Super Bowl as quickly as possible. But with his athletic qualities clearly in decline, the 1,000-yard seasons of years past are unlikely to return.<\/p>\n