Beware the Kansas City Chiefs.
Driven by Super Bowl heartbreak, the franchise that fell just in need of a historic three-peat will return with a vengeance in 2025.
Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and veteran Travis Kelce, who was said to be weighing up retirement within the offseason, the Chiefs shall be hell bent on writing the wrongs of last yr.
They’ve already been described as ‘provoked’ by one NFL author, and the offensive weapons that spluttered at times last season have been tipped to ‘go ballistic’ when the brand new campaign begins.
Kansas City will enter 2025 as Super Bowl losers — an unfamiliar feeling given how dominant Andy Reid’s dynasty has been lately.
And despite February’s failure, all eyes shall be on the Chiefs once more come September.
Their fans shall be hoping for a return to winning ways, while the remainder of the NFL, quite frankly, shall be begging for them to fall further.
Should the latter turn out to be reality, and the losses begin to pile up, the world shall be watching how two players specifically — Mahomes and Kelce — react.
The pair have turn out to be used to winning, having triumphed in three of the last six Super Bowls together and contested five of those six.
The truth is, Mahomes and Kelce are such serial winners, that when things have gone mistaken up to now, they’ve made their feelings very clear.
Towards the back end of the 2023 regular season, the Chiefs found themselves in a pre-Christmas slump.
December began with defeat on the Green Bay Packers, and was followed by a loss to their big AFC rival Buffalo Bills.
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A cushty win against the Latest England Patriots was then sandwiched between a shock loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas day that cooled talks of a Super Bowl run.
In that defeat, cameras caught Kelce and Mahomes on the sideline.
The tight end launched his helmet on the watercooler stand as his frustrations boiled over, and he was then seen having somewhat tiff with Coach Reid.
Mahomes, meanwhile, was seen having an animated discussion together with his offensive line in the warmth of battle.
Their actions became a hot topic in the times that followed, with Chiefs great Dante Hall calling their pair out for losing their call.
“Body language is all the things,” the previous wide receiver said.
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“When you’re screaming and yelling at your players, that permeates negatively.
“What you have got had in the primary five years, that poker face, ‘We all know we’re gonna win this in the long run,’ that permeates positively.
“Get back to being positive.”
Hall then likened Mahomes and Kelce to spoilt children on Christmas day,
“It’s like my little kids running around here on Christmas Day,” he continued.
“We got you a Christmas tree crammed with presents, and also you’re acting like spoiled little brats. These guys know I like them.
“So, as a friend, as a brother, I needed to call you out. This shouldn’t be look. I’m watching the sport with my kids, my daughter loves Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and also you’re acting like that?
“C’mon, guys! Be higher, and I believe the team shall be higher.”
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Within the weeks and months that followed, higher is indeed what the Chiefs got.
Mahomes and Kelce put their frustrations and stepped up to guide the team to their eighth-straight AFC West title, and a playoff run followed their 11-6 finish within the regular season.
That began with a commanding 26-7 Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins, in sub-zero temperatures at Arrowhead.
Within the Divisional Round victory over the Bills, Kelce had two receiving touchdowns.
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Together with Mahomes, he broke the record for many profession touchdowns within the playoffs for a quarterback/receiver duo.
Within the AFC Championship Game that followed against the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.
That stat line saw him surpassing Jerry Rice for many playoff receptions, and it also tied the NFL legend for first in 100-plus receiving yard games, because the Chiefs moved on to Super Bowl LVIII.
Against the San Francisco 49ers, Kelce had nine receptions for 93 yards and was the leading receiver for the sport.
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Kansas City won 25–22 in only the second Super Bowl in history to go to time beyond regulation, when the sport’s MVP Mahomes flipped a game-winning touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman.
Together, Mahomes and Kelce were accused of acting like ‘spoiled little brats’ before sparking a Super Bowl run for the ages.
The pair will return in 2025 having fallen just in need of a historic three-peat, and the sensation of frustration might linger once they step back on the sphere in Week 1.
But when anyone can channel that into one other postseason run, and return to the large game in 2026, it’s those two stars.
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