When it comes to No. 28 in Chiefs history, there really isn’t much of a debate. Abner Haynes owns it, and the number is retired for the first true franchise face Kansas City ever had.
Haynes arrived in the AFL and immediately changed the conversation. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1960, he chose not to go to the NFL and instead stayed close to home with the Dallas Texans.
That decision paid off fast. In the league’s first season, Haynes won the AFL rushing title with 875 yards, while also pacing the Texans - later the Chiefs - in receiving, punt returns and kick returns.
He finished with 2,100 all-purpose yards, which made him the AFL’s first Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
“He was a franchise player before they talked about franchise players. He did it all: rushing, receiving, kickoff returns, punt returns. He gave us the dimension we needed to be a good team in Dallas,” said head coach Hank Stram to the Kansas City Star.
His biggest year came in 1962, the Texans’ final season in Dallas and their first championship season. Haynes became the first 1,000-yard rusher in franchise history with 1,049 yards and led the league with 13 rushing touchdowns. He added 39 catches for 573 yards and six receiving scores, then delivered in the biggest game of all by scoring both of the franchise’s touchdowns in a 20-17 AFL Championship win over the Houston Oilers.
Haynes kept piling up records from there. He set AFL marks with five touchdowns in a single game, 19 in a season and 46 career rushing touchdowns.
His 12,065 combined career yards stood as the AFL standard. The Chiefs retired his number, and North Texas did the same, leaving No. 28 permanently tied to the player who set the tone for the franchise from the start.
In Other News...
Andy Reid May Be Rethinking A Chiefs Tendency Fans Hate
A Pro Football Focus look at the Chiefs first-down tendencies offers a familiar reminder about how Andy Reid has been shaping the offense: when the down and distance are fresh, Kansas City has leaned hard into the run and into more traditional quarterback alignments. The Chiefs have also shown a different look on first down than they do later in series, lining up under center more often and using the shotgun in a way that stands out from the rest of their playbook.
For a team that has long lived on Patrick Mahomes ability to stress defenses in space, that kind of early-down balance is worth watching as the season unfolds. The bigger question is whether the Chiefs keep leaning into those opening-script runs and the heavier first-down structure, or whether the offense trims back some of the run-pass option work early while adjusting to what this version of the roster can and cannot do. [Read more 🡒]
Ex Chiefs Star Makes Bold Mahomes Debate Call That Fans Will Argue Over
A familiar quarterback debate has spilled back into the Mahomes conversation, and this one comes with a former Chiefs guard in the middle of it. Geoff Schwartz pushed back on ESPN analyst Ryan Clarks assertion that Lamar Jackson is the NFLs most accomplished quarterback outside of Patrick Mahomes, making the case that Aaron Rodgers still owns that spot on the strength of a resume that includes three MVP awards, a Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl MVP.
The argument is the kind that never really dies in NFL circles, especially when Rodgers remains a topic of weekly discussion even at this stage of his career. Colin Cowherd has also called Rodgers undervalued, and with Rodgers set for another season with the Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike McCarthy, the backdrop only adds another layer to a debate Chiefs fans know well: who, if anyone, is actually closest to Mahomes in the leagues quarterback hierarchy? [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Fans Will Get A Kick Out Of Clark Hunt Here
A street-side interview outside MetLife Stadium during the World Cup final turned into a little crossover moment for Kansas City fans, with a Kalshi reporter asking attendees and notable figures how much they paid to get in. The answers ran the gamut, from people who shelled out eye-popping sums to others who were invited or said they did not pay at all, giving the clip a mix of sticker shock and big-event theater.
Then came Clark Hunt, the Chiefs chairman and CEO, who was among the suited figures caught up in the scene and made clear he was enjoying the spectacle. For Chiefs fans, it is the kind of cameo that lands with a grin, a reminder that Hunt can show up in some pretty unexpected places when a major sports moment is unfolding. [Read more 🡒]