The Kansas City Chiefs had been the AFC's representative in the Super Bowl in five of the last six Super Bowls, including the past three seasons. With the Chiefs’ epic streak coming to an end this year, that meant the AFC would have a new representative. We now know that team will be the New England Patriots after they won an ugly 10–7 game against the Denver Broncos to advance to Super Bowl LX. Unfortunately for the rest of the AFC, the Patriots could now be a problem for years to come.
While KC's battle to return to supremacy will have to start by dethroning the Denver Broncos in the AFC West, the Patriots may be even better set up to be competitive for several years to come. In fact, you can make a strong case that the Patriots are well ahead of where most expected them to be. Coming off last season, it seemed like the Pats had found their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye; they just needed to stabilize things around him. That happened—and then some—this season.
Why the Patriots are set up to compete in the AFC for years to come
The main reason the Patriots could be a problem for years to come is Maye. In just his second season, Maye is a strong contender for the MVP, throwing for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, while also rushing for 450 yards and another four touchdowns. Maye looks like he’ll be one of the better quarterbacks in the AFC for years to come. While he hasn’t had to outduel Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs yet, he did make the plays needed to reach the Super Bowl in just his second season.
A related second reason that the Patriots could be a force in the AFC for a while is that there is still a lot of room for improvement in Maye's receiving weapons. Yes, Stefon Diggs had a nice bounce-back season this year, and guys like Hunter Henry and Kayshon Boutte have been solid pieces, but you still wouldn’t rank Maye’s weapons in the top half of the league. If Maye continues to improve as a player and the Patriots continue to improve his weapons, they will only be harder to beat in the future.
The Patriots have cap space to make some moves as well. Over the Cap has them with the 10th-most cap space to work with going into this offseason (the Chiefs are currently 32nd), so they have room to make additions to bolster their roster. Without any massive, glaring holes to fill, they should be able to spend as needed going forward to keep Maye set up for success.
The Patriots also have some other talented draft picks that they’ve hit on. Guys like cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones, left tackle Will Campbell, and defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore give the Patriots some young, elite talent to build around (along with Maye). They have a talented young core that is already under contract for next year—and in some cases several more years—so they can focus on filling holes and re-signing the players they want with their cap space.
Finally, one of the biggest reasons that the Patriots will likely be contenders for years to come is their coach, Mike Vrabel. Vrabel was able to keep the Tennessee Titans competitive for years despite not having a strong quarterback to work with. When he arrived in New England, he instantly got the most out of their young lineup and deserves a massive amount of credit for taking them from just four wins last year to a Super Bowl appearance this season.
Despite their down season, the Kansas City Chiefs still have plenty of reasons to believe in a rebound and a return to competitiveness next season. However, even if they do return to their winning ways, there is a new power in the AFC they will have to contend with. The New England Patriots are once again in the Super Bowl, but this time with a young quarterback, a talented core under contract for next season, and a proven winner at head coach. That’s a formula for sustained success—and one the Chiefs will have to deal with if they want to fight their way back to the Super Bowl.