It's no surprise to see former members of the Kansas City Chiefs' front office making waves over the last few years. With five Super Bowl appearances (and three Super Bowl rings) to their credit since Brett Veach took over as general manager, the Chiefs established the rarest of occurrences for NFL franchises: a very real dynasty.
Out of that dynasty has come a number of figures from Veach's staff to take on promotions or new roles in front offices around the league.
Ryan Poles became the general manager of the Chicago Bears before the 2022 season, and in his fourth season, the team captured the NFC North title with hopes of representing the conference in the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs’ front-office influence continues to ripple across the NFL as another longtime executive draws interest from rival teams.
Former Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi finally found an acceptable reason to leave after fifteen seasons in K.C. and accepted an offer to become the Tennessee Titans' general manager one year ago. After taking Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, he's now positioned to select his own head coach and take the team forward in the AFC South.
Now another former Chiefs exec is getting another offer to climb the organizational ladder with the news that Brandt Tilis is getting looks from other NFL teams. Currently with the Carolina Panthers, Tilis has long been considered a bright young mind in the front office, and it looks like the Atlanta Falcons are interested in poaching him from the Carolina Panthers.
#Panthers EVP Brandt Tillis is interviewing for the newly created Football President role for the #Falcons, source said. One of the key decision makers in Carolina.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 7, 2026
Tilis spent almost as long as Borgonzi in Kansas City's front office, a fourteen-year stint that ended in 2024 when the Panthers lured him away to become their executive vice president of football operations. After just two seasons on the job, the Falcons are calling with a tempting offer with even more oversight.
With the Chiefs' downturn in 2025, it's possible the sheen has wore off on some of the candidates hoping to be next in line for a lucrative offer away from Kansas City. But the run of success should give this franchise the benefit of the doubt. A rebound season in 2026 could bring attention back to the likes of assistant general managers Chris Shea and Mike Bradway, among others, going forward.