Three reasons fans should still be encouraged if Chiefs miss playoffs

After a crushing 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans, the Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in uncharted territory. 

In the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs have never lost more than six games in a regular season and have never missed the playoffs. But according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the 6-7 Chiefs have only an 11% chance of qualifying for the postseason. 

Chiefs Kingdom is on edge, and they should be. But should the Chiefs falter down the stretch this season, there are three good reasons why their fans can be optimistic about the future.

1. Patrick Mahomes is still in his prime

Conventional wisdom suggests that a professional athlete’s prime is from ages 27 to 32. If that’s true, Mahomes, who is 30, has two years of prime remaining. If he remains healthy, he should be able to play at least 10 more seasons, giving the Chiefs ample time to return to championship form. 

By the time Tom Brady turned 30 (2007), his New England Patriots had appeared in four Super Bowls and won three. By comparison, Mahomes has appeared in five Super Bowls and won three. Brady won four more Super Bowls after turning 30. So, to those keeping score, Mahomes should have plenty of time to win more titles.

2. There is life after missing the playoffs

With four games remaining in the regular season, the Chiefs must face the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium and the Tennessee Titans and the Las Vegas Raiders on the road. A loss to any one of those teams will likely quash their playoff hopes. 

Should that happen, the Chiefs, who lost Super Bowl LIX last season, would be in good company. The 2007 Patriots, considered by many to be the greatest NFL team of the 21st century, went 16-0 in the regular season, lost Super Bowl XLII, and missed the playoffs the following season. But they rebounded. After being eliminated in the wild-card round and then the divisional playoffs over the next two years, the Pats were back in Super Bowl XLVI, just four years after missing the postseason.

3. A second dynasty is possible

The Patriots of the early 2000s, who won three titles, were a vastly different team from the Patriots of the 2010s, who won three more. If the Chiefs miss the playoffs this year, a Hall of Fame quarterback (Mahomes), a genius head coach (Andy Reid), and an accomplished GM (Brett Veach) can regroup, retool and construct another dynastic roster in a few years. It’s been done before.