What are the Kansas City Chiefs greatest achievements in franchise history?
The Kansas City Chiefs just won Super Bowl LIV and with that the franchise’s resume is beginning to take on a different look. They are now one of only 10 teams to have played in three or more Super Bowls and one of only 10 teams who have won two or more Super Bowls. Aside from their latest exploits however, the history of the Kansas City Chiefs franchise is littered with incredible feats on the gridiron.
The following list is a curation of individual player’s achievements with nearly every decade of Chiefs football being represented. Some are remembered for incredible games, some for incredible seasons, and some for incredible careers.
My primary focus were players who had records near the top of NFL history. Thus, while some players from much older eras met this criteria for a time if they no longer meet it, they probably didn’t make the list.
As with all of these lists, I’ve undoubtedly overlooked someone’s favorite player and their bevy of accomplishments. Let us know in the comments who you think should be added to our list of Kansas City Chiefs accomplishments, based on the above criteria.
So without further adieu, here are the 10 greatest accomplishments in Kansas City Chiefs franchise history.
More Articles About Chiefs History:
Marcus Peters – 26 Passes Defended
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Marcus Peters 18th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington. Were it not for some personal troubles between Peters and his college coaches, it’s likely Peters would have gone much higher as he was widely regarded as the best cornerback in the draft. Peters was the first and only time the Chiefs invested in a cornerback in the first round in the Andy Reid tenure and only the second time they had done so since 1992.
Needless to say, Peters rookie season was a sight for sore eyes. During that year he led the league with eight interceptions, 280 return yards and two touchdowns. He set four Chiefs records en route to a Second Team All Pro nomination and the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Peters receives an honorable mention on this list of Chiefs achievements in part for his overall rookie season but primarily due to his 26 passes defended. On top of his gaudy production in interceptions, he tied for the league lead in passes defended and the third most all-time.
Otis Taylor – 22.4 yards per reception
Otis Taylor is one of the greatest players in Chiefs history and arguably the greatest wide receiver in franchise history. He had a spectacular career with the team, as a deadly weapon in a great offense that helped the team win the 1966 and 1969 AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV in 1969.
By his second season in the NFL, Taylor’s talents were clear for all to see. He finished the season second in receiving yards with 1,297, but the more impressive stat was his yards per reception. At 22.36 yards per reception, Taylor owned the sixth highest average in the history of both the NFL and AFL for players with 50 receptions or more in a season.
Today he maintains the 10th best average for that criteria and for that he receives an honorable mention on the list of greatest Chiefs achievements of all time.
Will Shields – 223 straight starts
"“To me, that was the biggest piece; being accountable to the guys you were playing with. You wanted to perform at a high level, and (by playing in every game) you got a chance to do that.” – Will Shields"
Will Shields was the consummate iron man. One of the most consistently great players at his position, Shields made it to 12 straight Pro Bowls from 1995 to 2006. Even 14 seasons later, this is still the Kansas City Chiefs record and the third-most Pro Bowl selections of all time. He was also named either First Team or Second Team All Pro six times, not too shabby for a third round pick.
Shields is known in part for his dominance as one of the league’s best guards during his career. Throughout his entire career, the Chiefs averaged in the top 10 in rushing yards and were in the top six in eight of those seasons. He was a key cog in the offensive line that produced one of greatest stretches for a running back in NFL history in Priest Holmes‘ 2001, 2002, and 2003 seasons.
Shields is also known for his sheer determination to never take a day off. He never missed a single game in his career, playing in 224 and starting with his second game, he never missed a start. To this day this streak remains sixth all-time for all positions and fourth all-time for non-quarterbacks.
Many times, records like this seem to go unnoticed. Sure, it’s impressive but how many touchdowns did he score, how many interceptions did he have, etc? These are the records that usually draw our attention.
In truth though, football is a game of inches and each one of those inches is fought for tooth and nail by the players in the trenches. For an offensive lineman to have the toughness to play 223 games straight, in arguably a much more physical NFL than that of today, that is an incredible feat and one that lands him on the list of greatest Kansas City Chiefs achievements of all time.
Larry Johnson – 416 Rushing Attempts
I know what many in Chiefs Kingdom will say for including Larry Johnson on this list. How do I know? Because I ranked him highly in my all-time running backs list and that was met with a certain level of indifference and even irritation. I get it, Johnson didn’t and still doesn’t have a sparkling reputation as a person.
That said, he was the definition of a workhorse back. The collegiate phenom out of Penn State, the owner of an incredible 2,000 yard rushing season, had a spectacular stretch for the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Over a two year span from 2005 to 2006 Larry Johnson led all running backs in the NFL with 3,539 yards rushing.
Even more impressive, Johnson led all running backs during that span with 752 carries outpacing the second place player by substantial 68 carries. This was largely due to his 2006 season, in which he carried the ball a body-altering 416 times.
To put the load Johnson shouldered into context, the team ran 1,004 plays that season. The fact Johnson was taking a beating like running backs do on 41 percent of the team’s plays is jaw dropping. This record is impressive all by itself, but even more so when you consider it will likely stand for the rest of NFL history. Given the way the league has transitioned mostly to passing, it’s hard to believe an individual player will even sniff 400 carries again.
Johnson’s total carries were not the only impressive thing he accomplished that season. He carried the ball 39 times in a game against Seattle, six carries shy of Jamie Morris‘ record from 1988. He also surpassed 100 yards rushing 11 times, three short of Barry Sanders‘ record from 1997.
While Johnson won’t be remembered fondly as a person, he should be remember fondly as a player and his rushing attempts in the 2006 season land him on this list as one of the greatest achievements in franchise history.
Emmitt Thomas – His 12 Interception Season
"“Using today’s term ‘shut down’ corner, Emmitt could do it as well as anyone playing today. You show your excellence by your dominance.” – Willie Lanier"
As with many people who accomplish great things in life, Emmitt Thomas was a true underdog. He played his college ball at Bishop College, a small historically black college in Texas that produced 12 NFL players between 1964 and the end of the program in 1988. Inarguably, Emmitt Thomas will be remembered as it’s greatest.
The Kansas City Chiefs discovered Emmitt Thomas seemingly by accident when Lamar Hunt and Chiefs scouts traveled to a Prairie View A&M game to scout future franchise great and Hall of Famer Otis Taylor. The Panthers coincidentally had Bishop College on the schedule that weekend and the Chiefs brass were so impressed they returned the following season and offered Thomas an opportunity to sign with the team as an undrafted free agent.
Thomas would have a spectacular career with the franchise. He was a key cog in a Chiefs defense stacked with future Hall of Famers that was pivotal in the franchise winning two AFL Championships and one Super Bowl during the 1960s.
Arguably his best season, and the one that lands him on this list, was his 1974 campaign. Though the Chiefs as a franchise had begun to decline precipitously, finishing that season with a record of 5-9, Thomas had the best season of his career logging 12 interceptions, 214 return yards, and two touchdowns.
For these exploits Thomas was named First Team All Pro for the first time in his career and was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl. His 12 interceptions are the most in a single season in team history and are tied for third all time in NFL history, just two shy of the record set by Richard “Night Train” Lane in 1952.
7. Justin Houston – The 22 Sack Season
The Kansas City Chiefs got an absolute steal in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft when they took linebacker Justin Houston out of Georgia with the 70th pick overall. Houston was an All-SEC First Team selection his senior season with an impressive 10 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. He clearly had immense talent, but off-the-field issues resulted in his slide to the Chiefs in the middle rounds.
Houston would become a force rather quickly for the Chiefs, starting 10 games his rookie season and registering double digit sacks in his next three. By far his best season, and the one that lands him on this list, came in 2014.
Though the Chiefs missed the playoffs that season, the only time during Andy Reid’s tenure as head coach, the overall defensive output from that year’s unit was one of the best in recent memory for the Chiefs. The cornerstone of that defense was the next-to-unstoppable pass rush of Justin Houston.
That season he amassed the most sacks in franchise history with 22, breaking Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas‘ mark of 20 that had stood for 23 seasons. He also moved into a tie for second all time, alongside Jared Allen and Mark Gastineau, only half a sack shy of the all-time record of 22.5 set my Michael Strahan in 2001.
Houston would receive a number of accolades from this season from being voted the 27th best player in the NFL by his peers to being voted First Team All Pro by the Associated Press. Unfortunately, this season would be the peak of Houston’s career in Kansas City. Consistent injuries prevented him from ever truly recapturing his former glory, but his 2014 season still stands tall as one of the greatest achievements in franchise history.
6. Dante Hall – Four Straight Games with a Return Touchdown
"“Anything that is unexpected is the X-factor.” – Dante Hall"
Dante Hall, known more appropriately as the “Human Joystick,” was one of the most exciting players in the NFL for a stretch in the early 2000s. You could argue his stretch from 2002 to 2004 was one of the most exciting in franchise history. He wasn’t just a great returner, he was a game changer that could erase an opponent’s lead in a handful of seconds.
Hall was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL draft, a running back out of Texas A&M, with the intention of installing him as the team’s primary returner. He was largely an afterthought in league circles his first two seasons with the team, but began to showcase what his career would be remembered for in the 2002 season.
That season he ranked fifth in the NFL in yards per punt return and lead the NFL in punt return touchdowns with two. He added 23.8 yards per kick return and one kick return touchdown en route to the first Pro Bowl of his career as a return man. His 2002 season was impressive, one most return men would dream of, but his namesake would be awarded largely due to his exploits in 2003.
The 2003 Kansas City Chiefs rocketed out to a 9-0 start and were an early favorite to win the Super Bowl with a potent offense and a capable defense. Their offense was the focal point of their team, but one could argue the special teams kick and punt return units were the most exciting.
Beginning in the second game of the season, Hall returned kicks and punts for touchdowns in an NFL record four straight games. This impressive record culminated in game five against the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs trailing by six late in the game, with one of the greatest returns in NFL history.
Hall caught the ball near the Chiefs goal line and sprinted right, only to be met by a horde of would-be tacklers. With speed and agility possessed by few returners in the NFL he reversed field, blockers and would-be tacklers caught in a maelstrom of ferocious collisions, and broke to the open field along the visitors’ sideline. With fists and number ones pumping towards the sky on the field, sideline and in the stands Hall danced into the opponent’s end zone, completing his NFL record with the Chiefs triumphing over their hated rival.
Hall never developed into a great receiver, but he will be remembered for a long time for his captivating return abilities. He was a fan favorite, and his four straight touchdowns are one of the greatest achievements in franchise history.
Note: Dante Hall actually broke two records on that last touchdown. Not only was he the first NFL player to return four kicks for touchdowns in straight games, he became the first NFL player to return seven kicks for touchdowns in 10 games. Finally, he tied a host of others with the most return touchdowns in a single season to that date.
5. Tony Gonzalez – 10,000 Receiving Yards & 76 Touchdowns
"“That’s what football has always taught me. On the football field, you’re going to be afraid. Adversity is going to come towards you. you can’t run from it.” – Tony Gonzalez"
Tony Gonzalez is one of the most dominant tight ends and Kansas City Chiefs players of all time and has rightfully achieved his place in Canton amongst the greatest players to ever grace the gridiron. He was one of the first super star tight ends with both size and speed, a tight end the opposing defensive coordinator had to structure a game plan around stopping.
Gonzalez was a two-sport star at the University of California and that dynamic athleticism was what drew the Kansas City Chiefs to draft him in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft. Drafting a tight end with the 13th pick in the first round is generally frowned upon, but Gonzalez would make this look like a genius move.
From 1999 to 2008, Gonzalez never missed a single Pro Bowl and was voted First Team or Second Team All Pro every season but 2005. He led the Chiefs in receiving seven of those 10 seasons and was arguably one of the best offensive players in the league.
By the end of 2008, Gonzalez was considered by many as the greatest tight end ever. He was only the second tight end to break the 10,000 yards receiving mark, breaking Shannon Sharpe‘s old record in 2008. To this point in NFL history, nearly 10 years after he retired, he’s one of only four tight ends to accomplish the feat. He was the first tight end to break the 70 touchdown mark in 2008 and the first to break the 100 touchdown mark in 2012 with the Atlanta Falcons.
Tony Gonzalez is one of the most beloved players in Kansas City Chiefs history, and for good reason. His 10,000 receiving yards and 76 touchdowns with the franchise place him number five on this list of all-time franchise achievements.
4. Derrick Thomas – The Seven Sack Performance
"“To me, a sack could be described as a play with a plot. You have ups and downs, and then all of a sudden, it’s drawing to the conclusion, everybody is in suspense, it’s building, and building, and boom, you have a hero.” – Derrick Thomas"
Derrick Thomas was an absolute force at the University of Alabama. The pass rushing phenom had what would still be the collegiate record with an incredible 27 sacks his senior season in 1988. Unfortunately, he holds that record unofficially as the NCAA did not begin tracking player sacks until the 2000 season. Luckily for Thomas, his collegiate career was just the tip of the iceberg.
The Kansas City Chiefs made Thomas the fourth overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft and he immediately justified their confidence in him. He had double digit sacks in each of his first four seasons and seven of 11 for his career. He made the Pro Bowl every season from 1989 to 1997 and was named either First Team or Second Team All Pro five times.
Thomas’ best season came in his second year in the league, in which he evolved into one of the most feared pass rushers in decades. That season he led the NFL in sacks while setting the Chiefs all-time record for sacks in a season with 20, the fifth most in a season in NFL history. The feat that places him on this list came in week 10 of this season, in which he set the all-time NFL record for sacks in a game with seven.
Thomas would dominate the rest of his career, amassing 126.5 sacks and 41 forced fumbles. Currently, he ranks 17th all time in sacks and ninth in forced fumbles. However, in the history of the NFL only Reggie White and Von Miller have a higher average sack number per year than Thomas.*
Unfortunately, Thomas’ life was cut short in 2000 due to complications from a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. He would later be inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2001, the NFL Hall of Fame in 2009, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014. His ferocity as a pass rusher single game sack record lands him number four on the list of greatest Chiefs achievements of all time.
*This excludes players with less than 100 sacks
3. Jamaal Charles – 5.4 Yards Per Carry
"“Hopefully, I proved I have the heart for the game.” – Jamaal Charles"
As great as Jamaal Charles truly was, he is extremely under-appreciated outside of Chiefs Kingdom. Charles was an exceptionally slight running back for the era in which he ran, but what he lacked in size he made up for in tenacity and all-world speed and quickness. The way he glided across the gridiron was something to behold, and made other professional athletes look like high school JV players.
Even with poor players around him at many positions on offense Charles had a career that could one day see him selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In his five healthy seasons from 2009 to 2014, removing his 2011 season in which he only played two games, Charles averaged nearly 1,300 yards rushing with an incredible 5.5 yards per carry.
It’s this yards per carry average that lands Charles at number four on the list of greatest individual Chiefs achievements. While he diminished near the end of his career, and thus averaged slightly less for his career at 5.4 yards per carry, this is still good enough to give Charles the highest average yards per carry for a running back’s career since both the AFL and NFL began operating in parallel in 1960.
It’s possible there are those this won’t impress, but you have to consider a couple things. Charles played for one of the worst franchises in the NFL during his prime with the Chiefs. The team won at a incredibly low percentage of 38 percent during the best years of his career.
The runner up to Charles, who happens to be considered by many as the best player of all time in Jim Brown, played on a team that won 67 percent of their games during his prime. What’s more, they played in far fewer games in those days which arguably reduced the wear and tear inflicted on players at the games most physical position.
At the end of the day, maintaining the highest yards per carry for a running back over the last 60 seasons makes Charles arguably history’s most effective runner. While he won’t be remembered for winning championships, he will be remembered for this and it lands him at number three on this list.
2. Priest Holmes – The 27 Touchdown Season
"“If you aren’t breaking tackles, you aren’t doing anything.” – Priest Holmes"
The tale of Priest Holmes is a true underdog story. An overlooked prospect coming out of the University of Texas, largely because the limelight in Austin was dominated by future Heisman Trophy Winner Ricky Williams, Holmes went undrafted in the 1997 NFL Draft. Fortunately for him, this setback was not a career ender.
Holmes signed with the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year deal worth $133,000. It took him a year to get acclimated to the pace and physicality of the NFL, but in the end the Ravens got value far exceeding his price tag. In his second season with the team he established himself as a starting caliber back by eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark with a respectable 4.3 yards per carry and seven touchdowns.
His time was ultimately cut short in Baltimore, due in part to injury and in part to the Ravens investment in the running back position, leading him to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2001 offseason. Both franchise and running back were in need of a fresh start, and the combination of both would give them just that.
Holmes set gridirons at home and away ablaze over the next two seasons, rushing for a league leading 1,555 yards in 2001 and 1,615 yards in 2002. He added 34 touchdowns over that span including a league leading 24 in 2002. Had he not missed two games due to injury, it’s likely he would have broken the league’s single season touchdown record.
Fortunately, he stepped it up a notch in 2003 which clocks in as the second-greatest individual achievement in franchise history. At 5’9″ and 213 pounds, an undrafted afterthought just six seasons prior, Priest Holmes would break Marshall Faulk‘s 2000 record of 25 touchdowns with 27 of his own. He joined Emmitt Smith as the only two running backs in NFL history with back-to-back seasons of 20 or more touchdowns.
All in all, over a three season span, Holmes would gain 6,566 total yards and score 61 total touchdowns. It still remains one of the greatest stretches for a running back in NFL history and his capstone season of 2003 lands him with the second-greatest individual achievement in franchise history.
1. Patrick Mahomes – The 50 Touchdown Season
"“Pat Mahomes is like no one I have ever seen before. He is better than anyone I have ever seen. He is the most talented quarterback I have ever seen,” – Jimmy Johnson"
In only the second year of his career, the first in which he was the full-time starter, Patrick Mahomes had arguably the greatest season a Kansas City Chief has ever had. It was evident from the start how special Mahomes was, with the ability to complete side-arm slings for 58 yards and a touchdown under duress to rolling out casually and firing missiles 30 yards down the field. In his first start of the season he threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns en route to AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
The following week Mahomes would vanquish a long-hated rival in the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, marking the first time the Chiefs had done so in 32 seasons. He would showcase more of his jaw dropping exploits throwing for 326 yards and six touchdowns, breaking both the NFL record for most touchdowns in the first three games of a quarterback’s career and most touchdowns through the first two games of the season.
The rest of the season would seemingly be a blur, highlighted by multiple shootouts including a 43-40 loss to the New England Patriots in Foxborough and the greatest Monday Night Football game in league history in Week 9. In this game against the Los Angeles Rams, though the Chiefs ultimately lost, Mahomes eviscerated the Rams secondary to the tune of 478 yards and 6 touchdowns. His mark of 478 yards would be the most thrown by a quarterback that season.
Mahomes finished the season breaking nearly every major passing record in franchise history. He now owns the record for most attempts at 383, most passing yards at 5,097, most touchdowns at 50, and most 300 yard passing games in a season with 10. He joined future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only other quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a season.
While the season ultimately ended in disappointment, with the Chiefs losing another shootout to the New England Patriots, Mahomes season finished at the NFL Awards. Along with his Pro Bowl invite and his First Team All Pro nomination, Mahomes became the first player in Chiefs history to win the NFL’s illustrious Most Valuable Player Award. Without question, this is the best season a Chiefs player has ever had and one of the greatest in NFL history.