Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs Involved in NFL's AFC Championship Development

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 9:14 AM ET

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are not playing in the AFC Championship game on Sunday. It’s going to be unfamiliar territory for Mahomes and Co., who are not vying for the AFC title for the first time in seven years. After finishing the regular season with a 6-11 record, this is also the first time the Chiefs are sitting out the postseason in the Mahomes era.

The New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos will take the field on Sunday with the AFC championship on the line. Drake Maye and the Pats booked their spot in the conference championship game with a win over the Houston Texans in the divisional round. The Broncos, on the other hand, defeated Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10).Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Mahomes has never missed the playoffs in his career, except for this season. In fact, the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback has played in the AFC championship game for seven straight years, clinching the title five times.

Before Mahomes and the Chiefs’ dominant run in the conference, it was Tom Brady and the Patriots who reigned supreme. Brady led New England to eight consecutive trips to the AFC championship game. They faced Mahomes and the Chiefs in the eighth year of that incredible streak, with Brady and Co. securing a 37-31 win to book a trip to Super Bowl 53. The Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the big game, marking Brady’s sixth and final Super Bowl win with New England.

Together, the Chiefs and the Patriots have reached the AFC Championship Game for 15 straight years. This includes this season, with Maye now leading the charge for the Pats.

This now will be the 15th-straight year of either the Patriots or Chiefs playing in the AFC Championship game. pic.twitter.com/rI5w84aLLb
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2026

This development highlights the Chiefs and Patriots' dominance in the conference over the past decade and a half. Maye and this current group have now been tasked to carry the torch for New England.

Standing in the Patriots’ way are the Broncos, who lost quarterback Bo Nix in the closing stages of their divisional round win over the Bills. Denver will host the AFC title game on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.

The Patriots last won the AFC championship in the 2018 season under Brady. Maye and Co. will look to break this six-year curse on Sunday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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