KC Chiefs have zero players on Top 25 under 25 list from PFF

There was a time in which the K.C. Chiefs would have dominated a list like this.

In recent seasons, any sort of Top 25 players under 25 list would have been peppered with various members of the Chiefs who were still so early in their NFL careers. From wide receiver Tyreek Hill to quarterback Patrick Mahomes to defensive tackle Chris Jones, Chiefs Kingdom has become accustomed to the roster as a young, potential-filled one. Those days are fading just a bit.

For the first time in quite some time, the Kansas City Chiefs have zero players on the Top 25 Players under 25 list from Pro Football Focus. That’s not to sound any alarm at all; instead it simply signals a a slow shift forward. Yet to see it does provide a bit of a surprise for those of us so used to seeing someone from K.C. represented.

These days, the Chiefs aren’t full of promise. They’re delivering on all that early potential with loads of players in their prime years. Several Chiefs have crossed that “magic” 25-year-old line and are now charged with leading a team to yet another Super Bowl appearance. These Chiefs have already represented the AFC in consecutive championships and they have every reason to expect to get back again (and again).

The Chiefs are absent from PFF’s Top 25 under 25 list.

Oftentimes, these lists are filled with players from teams who have yet to make the leap. It’s best illustrated by Josh Allen as the top offensive player on the list from PFF as the Bills are a hopeful contender in the AFC who now must get past the gatekeepers, a Chiefs team whose roster used to include many of these sorts of “Best Under 25” faces.

However, that’s also not to say that the Chiefs lack young talent. It’s not hard to see halfback Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who is now 22, on this list with a dynamic season. Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was already a questionable omission. Willie Gay and Nick Bolton could both emerge in the heart of a defense that will be on primetime TV quite a bit in the years to come. Deandre Baker is a former first round corner hoping to reset his career in K.C., and Creed Humphrey and Lucas Niang could be very young starters up front.

Still, this list lets us know the Chiefs aren’t the exciting young team anymore hoping to accomplish something great. They are the understood leaders expected to withstand every team’s best efforts in hopes to knock them off their perch. Their stars still have plenty of their prime seasons left, so there’s no need to worry. These Chiefs, despite being absent from this list, still have a wide open window.