Projecting three future Hall of Famers for the Kansas City Chiefs

The Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2024 will officially be inducted on Aug. 3.

With less than a month until the annual event in Canton, Ohio, we're examining which players — past and present — on the league's 32 teams we think will one day receive the honor.

Here are three Kansas City Chiefs who should receive football immortality.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes

Although he is only 28, Mahomes' résumé already reads like a HOFer. He has won two league MVPs and made six Pro Bowls in six seasons as a starter. 

This past season, he led the Chiefs to a thrilling overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, becoming the fifth QB in league history with three or more rings. The others are Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman.

Brady holds the NFL records for career passing yards (89,214) and passing TDs (649). Could Mahomes surpass these figures? Per Stathead, the Chiefs superstar has more passing yards (28,140) and passing TDs (219) than Brady did in his first six seasons as a starter.

Tight end Travis Kelce

Kelce has become one of the greatest all-time TEs since being drafted at No. 63 in 2013. Per Pro Football Reference's HOF monitor, his score (120.66) ranks third behind four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski (123.72) and HOFer Tony Gonzalez (195.43).

If Kelce finishes with 83 receptions in 2024, he will join Gonzalez (1,325) and former Dallas Cowboys star Jason Witten (1,228) as the only TEs with 1,000 or more. According to The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer, Kelce has recorded 90 receptions or more for seven consecutive seasons, meaning he has a strong chance to eclipse this mark.

More importantly, Kelce steps up in the postseason, which could help the Chiefs become the first team to win three straight titles in the Super Bowl era. Last season, he broke HOF WR Jerry Rice's record for postseason receptions, reaching 165.

Defensive end Neil Smith

Smith won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos — the Chiefs longtime AFC West rival — in 1997 and 1998, but his best years came in Kansas City. In nine seasons with the club, the third overall pick of the 1988 NFL Draft made five Pro Bowls. He also led the league in sacks (15 in 16 games) in 1993.

It's surprising Smith's still waiting on a call from Canton, considering he's a member of the HOF's All-1990s Team. He was overshadowed by HOF DEs Reggie White and Bruce Smith throughout his career, which may explain why voters have passed on him.

PFR's HOF monitor gives Smith a 73.55 score, below average for a DE (104). However, pass-rushers with lower scores — including Lee Roy Selmon (70.35) and Richard Dent (64.40) — have made the HOF. Perhaps it's time to award him with a gold jacket.