Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass against San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Adams: AFC Odds for Chiefs Are Irreverent, Irresponsible

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Zak Gilbert | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Super Bowl hangover is real. Just ask the San Francisco 49ers.

But history has proven that Super Bowl hangovers are different for most other teams, including Kansas City. That’s why Kay Adams went scorched earth on the latest odds by FanDuel Sportsbook, listing the Chiefs with the third-best chance to win another AFC Championship Game.

“Are we insane? Like, are we really going to do this, everybody?” Adams said on Tuesday’s edition of the Up & Adams Show. “Sportsbook-algorithm people, analysts, people much smarter than us … what are we doing? Like, are we not going to talk about the fact that they have a guy named Patrick Mahomes?”

That guy led the Chiefs back from their last Super Bowl loss, a 31-9 setback to Tampa Bay, and fell a field goal shy of returning to the big game in 2021. In fact, in 14 of the past 17 seasons, the team that lost the Super Bowl rebounded with a winning record the following year.

Chiefs are currently behind the Ravens and Bills to win the AFC Championship

Should Kansas City be the favorites in the AFC?@heykayadams | @FDSportsbook pic.twitter.com/Q4muenghho
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 8, 2025

Super Bowl losers have returned to the playoffs in 12 of the last 17 seasons. One of the teams that missed the playoffs was the 2008 New England Patriots, who lost Tom Brady to a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of the season-opener against Kansas City (after a hit from Bernard Pollard). Matt Cassel replaced Brady and still led the Patriots to an 11-5 record.

While San Francisco has finished last in its division each season after losing its last two Super Bowls, the rest of the league has largely enjoyed success. The only teams during that 17-season stretch (2008-24) that failed to return to the playoffs were those 2008 Patriots, the 2016 Carolina Panthers (6-10), the 2019 Los Angeles Rams (9-7) and the 49ers in 2020 (6-10) and ’24 (6-11).

Adams said the key for Kansas City to return to the AFC Championship game is health on offense, especially consistently available Patrick Mahomes targets, something the Chiefs didn’t have last year.

“Are we going to just forget and neutralize, or 5,000 Men in Black this, and say that they don't have the deepest, most well-rounded group of pass-catchers that he has ever had in his career, assuming everybody's healthy?” Adams asked. “I'm not saying that the Ravens aren’t built, or the Bengals can’t do it. All of them can do it, and I think they've all gotten better this offseason.

“But the Chiefs are going to be the favorite, and they should be. And this is, quite frankly, irreverent. It's a little, probably irresponsible, and I also think it's stupid.”

Here's a look at how Super Bowl losers have fared over the last 17 seasons:

Shoot us a follow on X (Twitter) @KCChiefsOnSI and @Domminchella to never miss another breaking news story again.

Click here to let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: