Chiefs Parallel ’09 Patriots, But Only So Far

Both teams lost offensive coordinators, Josh McDaniels leaving to become head coach in Denver and Matt Nagy leaving to take over play-calling with the Giants. The Patriots handed offensive control to Bill O’Brien; the Chiefs brought back Eric Bieniemy.

Each team made big trades. New England shipped quarterback Matt Cassel and its future head coach, linebacker and part-time touchdown target Mike Vrabel, to the Chiefs. In return, Kansas City gave the Patriots a second-round selection in the 2009 draft. Then, just before the 2009 season-opener, New England sent future Hall of Famer Richard Seymour to the Raiders for a 2011 first-round pick.

Brett Veach so far has acquired four valuable picks for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and solidified his backup-quarterback role with Justin Fields, a low-cost deal for a 2027 sixth-rounder.

Finally, both clubs replaced most of the defensive secondary compared to the prior season.

History will remember the Chiefs from 2026 and beyond by how they compare to those 2009-18 Patriots. And the decisions Brett Veach and Andy Reid make over the next 31 days will play a big role.

As Brady was fighting through his rehab, here’s what the Patriots did during their own pivotal, 31-day period in 2009 – setting up an NFL-record 11 consecutive division titles, five more Super Bowl berths and three more world championships.

They hit on their top pick

Bill Belichick used that second-rounder (34th overall) acquired from the Chiefs in the Cassel-Vrabel trade to draft Patrick Chung. Most remember the safety for his outstanding toughness and versatility, a three-time Super Bowl champion who became the first and only player to appear in the postseason each of his first 11 NFL seasons.

And he did it all with one team, New England. That’s the type of player Kansas City needs with its first pick, maybe not a Hall of Famer but a respected rock on their team.

Keep in mind that the Patriots followed Chung by missing on their second and third selections. They actually traded up to select nose tackle Ron Brace at 40th overall. Hampered by injuries, Brace wound up starting only seven games and retiring after four years. Then, they wound up releasing Darius Butler, a safety they took at No. 41 overall, after just two seasons.

New England did hit on its fourth selection that year, Sebastian Vollmer at 58 overall. A stalwart on the Patriots offensive line for seven seasons, he primarily protected Brady from right tackle.

The Chiefs as of now have three of the top 40 picks (9, 29 and 40). If Kansas City can win on two of its first three selections, the franchise will be in better shape than New England that year.

They traded down more than trading up

Belichick made plenty of mistakes but he won 333 games, second-most in NFL history behind Don Shula’s 347, by succeeding far more often than failing. And one method he used was trading back more often than trading up. As a result, he gave himself more swings at the plate.

In 2009, he covered the Brace mistake by trading down several times, twice taking other teams' offers for his first-round choices. One of those trade downs allowed him to acquire a significant seventh-round pick. Belichick used it to convert Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman into a Super Bowl-MVP wide receiver.

Veach has traded up 14 times in 18 draft-weekend trades. He’s traded down on just four occasions. The Chiefs as of now will enter next month’s draft with nine picks; they’re expected to have nine more in 2027, should they get their three projected compensatory picks.

More swings at the plate are better than fewer.

They leaned into their coaching staff and front office

Incredibly, nine individuals have become NFL general managers after time under Bill Belichick in New England’s front office, including Eliot Wolf, Nick Caserio and Jason Licht. No doubt, those counselors proved valuable in stocking the Patriots’ Super Bowl rosters.

They also hired a Vikings offensive assistant named Chad O’Shea and put him in charge of their wide receivers, including Edelman. Two months ago, Reid gave O’Shea the same role in Kansas City. O’Brien (quarterbacks), Dean Pees (defensive coordinator), Dante Scarnecchia (offensive line) and Matt Patricia (linebackers) all played important roles in preserving culture and grooming future Super Bowl champions. The Chiefs knew they needed a course correction in maintaining their standard, one reason they brought in Bieniemy.