With Brett Veach and Andy Reid signed to new extensions, can the Chiefs hope to attain dynasty status?
“Dynasty” is arguably the best title any professional sports franchise can ever hope to achieve. It is reserved for the most dominant, legendary franchises in team sports. For years the New England Patriots have ruthlessly ruled over the NFL, presiding over one of the most impressive runs ever, but all dynasties eventually come to an end.
In 2019, the Patriots were in control of the No. 2 seed in the AFC and seemed prime to muscle their way back to the promised land. But a late-season collapse against a division opponent allowed the challengers—our Chiefs—to slide into the bye. This should forever be marked as the end of the Patriots dynasty. The Patriots let the four-win Dolphins come into Foxborough and steal a must-win game. The vacuum was created. The balance of the league had shifted and, a few months later, the NFL throne was adorned by the beloved “Big Red” Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dynasties are fascinating and the debate that centers around them is full of opinions and emotions. With the recent extensions for both Andy Reid and Brett Veach (both for five years), and the extension of Mahomes (10 years) we now have a future picture that we can evaluate.
Over the next six years (including the current season), the Chiefs absolutely have a chance to become the next great dynasty. Within those six years, they need to win the division every year (barring an injury to Mahomes) and win at least two Super Bowls. These are obviously lofty goals, but this is just the base line. If they want inclusion in the conversation of the NFL’s great dynasties, they need to accomplish more. MVP awards, undefeated seasons, and iconic victories are what make teams undeniably great. So what are the paths to this? How reasonable are these expectations? What are the potential pitfalls?
The very first virtue of a solid dynasty is a complete organizational buy-in from top to bottom. The extensions are an immense vote of confidence and allow all three of the Chiefs’ fixtures to operate with a level of freedom that can inspire genius. But it can also lead to complacency. This is where Andy Reid truly shines. His passion for football and the ability to create culture is unparalleled. He asks a lot of every one of his players, simply because he himself does so much to help this team win. Despite being 64 years old, Reid continues to run one of the most creative and effective offensive systems. He pairs an incredible work ethic with the willingness to constantly innovate.
Beyond leading with his words and experience, the example set by Reid is the heartbeat of everything the Chiefs do. Complacency does not exist on an Reid-led football team. Coming off of bye weeks in the regular season, Reid coached teams are 18-3. When you throw in playoff byes, he is 23-5. These breaks for Reid have never been a pitfall but rather an opportunity to prepare and get better. That is the core of what he brings to this organization. As Veach and Mahomes attempt to establish their own careers, this is the example that has been set for them.
Mahomes after an incredible, record-breaking 2018 season was set for life. He had already proven his worth to the world. The 2019 season was far from smooth. Riddled with setbacks and freak injuries the young MVP could have easily packed it in. Instead, Patrick Lavon Mahomes II put together one of the most impressive playoff runs of all time.
Brett Veach could have coasted by once he identified and drafted Mahomes. The pairing of Mahomes and Reid was enough to ensure his job security for a long time. But just like his counterparts, Veach was not satisfied. Is it possible for a Super Bowl-winning team to return nearly every player in the next year? Ordinarily, no. But Veach moved heaven and earth to #RunItBack and here we are in 2020, no sign of a hangover in sight. The team is 8-1 with the best point differential in the league. Mahomes is heating up towards a second MVP with a 25:1 TD to INT ratio but he is also 3rd in the league in PFF grade and first in the league Ben Baldwin’s EPA per play. The Chiefs are dominant yet again.
The long-term future is not so certain. Next year the team is largely set up to look similar to the 2020 rendition. However, looking past that there are questions.
What will the cornerback depth chart be like? Charvarius Ward and Bashaud Breeland will be free agents. L’Jarius Sneed could be a long-term solution, but we have only seen a few games. Tyrann Mathieu, Mitchell Schwartz, and Eric Fisher will all be free agents after the 2021 season and will all be north of 30 years old. In addition, the contracts that will remain are hefty. Mahomes, Frank Clark, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, and Tyreek Hill will be making a significant portion of the future cap.
Of course, I am projecting far into the future. Every NFL team sees significant turnover within 3-4 year windows. Also, none of what I outlined above is overly concerning for this team as that core is still incredibly strong. That being said, it is unlikely that the roster will be as deep as it currently is, making every draft and free-agent signing more important. Nobody said building a dynasty would be easy!
While Veach absolutely deserves the praise he has received thus far, it is now squarely on his shoulders to patch the holes in this future roster so that the brilliance of Mahomes and Reid can continue to shine. The Clyde Edwards-Helaire selection was a misstep and not many more of these can be afforded if the Chiefs want to be consistently dominant.
Reid, Mahomes, and Veach have established a team culture that is never satisfied. And that’s why I am criticizing and pinpointing future areas of weakness—it is exactly what they would be doing! Mahomes will have to elevate his game as his counterparts continue to rise. The future of the QB positions is littered with incredible potential: Kyler Murray, Trevor Lawrence, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Justin Fields, Tua Tagovailoa, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen—just to name a few. It will not be easy holding all of them off. Reid will face his own challenges as new systems and coordinators continue to infiltrate the league.
A dynasty must withstand and adapt to these changes. I have faith. It is not often that one reign of terror is ended and another begins immediately, but the Chiefs are more than poised to take that mantle and I cannot wait for the next six years of Chiefs football!