Top five offensive performers in Kansas City Chiefs playoff history

Len Dawson

Some will see Len Dawson atop this list and scoff. Len Dawson would be first or second on every Chiefs fans list, but it’s likely that recency bias would place him second on most. At some point in Patrick Mahomes’ career, maybe as soon as following the 2020 season, he will overtake Dawson as the top offensive player in Chiefs postseason history.

Dawson’s career is arguably the most decorated of any offensive player in Chiefs history. He was the equivalent of a seven-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All Pro. He held numerous Chiefs records for decades, including 30 passing touchdowns in a season which stood until Mahomes broke that in 2018.

He also helmed the Chiefs throughout the 1960s, arguably their most dominant decade in franchise history. During that decade the Chiefs won a total of three AFL Championships, went to two of the first four Super Bowls including the very first against Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers, and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl four after beating the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings.

Dawson played a total of 14 seasons for the Dallas Texans and eventually Kansas City Chiefs. The Super Bowl IV MVP was ahead of his time when it came to the forward pass, and it’s one of the advantages the Chiefs used for years to great success. His place in the NFL Hall of Fame is well deserved and so is his place, for now, at the top of this list.