The Chiefs are heading into their bye week with the kind of early-season buzz that usually belongs to a team already deep into a postseason push. At 4-0, Kansas City sits among the league’s three undefeated teams, and in the AFC, they’re alone at the top of that club.
That’s a sharp turn from where the story seemed to be drifting when 2025 ended with a 6-11 record and six straight losses. Patrick Mahomes was recovering from a surgically repaired knee, Travis Kelce’s future as a starting tight end looked cloudy, and even Andy Reid’s long-term plans were getting whispered about.
A few months later, the mood looks very different. Mahomes is back and producing at a high level, Kelce is enjoying a renaissance season, and Reid has the Chiefs rolling into Sunday’s bye with four straight wins.
If the playoffs began today, Kansas City would get a wild-card round bye and then likely face either the Cleveland Browns or the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round.
The turnaround has also put the Chiefs in the spotlight in The Athletic’s early-season superlatives. In his Oct. 7 piece, Mike Jones named Kansas City the league’s “Best Team,” pointing to a roster that has been strengthened by the run game and young help on defense.
"Thanks to a bolstered rushing attack and young defensive reinforcements, the Chiefs boast one of the most well-rounded rosters in the league. Patrick Mahomes has displayed no ill effects from December’s season-ending knee surgery, and he no longer has to shoulder such a heavy load. Throw in coach Andy Reid’s experience, creativity and leadership, and the Chiefs appear primed for continued excellence."
Jones also gave Kansas City the “Best Offseason Signing” nod for Kenneth Walker III, whose three-year, $43-million deal in March drew plenty of reaction at the time. Some saw the move as a big swing to stabilize a backfield that had been in flux. Others questioned whether that kind of money made sense at a position many around the league treat as expendable.
Four games in, the signing looks like a home run.
"The Chiefs placed a high priority on upgrading Mahomes’ supporting cast, and arming the quarterback with a potent rushing attack was step No. 1," he wrote. "Walker, the Super Bowl LX MVP, left Seattle...and now leads the NFL with 537 rushing yards. He has helped recharge an offense that leads the AFC in total yards per game and rushing yards per game while ranking sixth overall in points scored."
Jones went a step further, arguing that "running backs still matter," and noting that eight of the league’s top 10 rushing teams have winning records. That put Walker in his MVP conversation alongside Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.
The praise didn’t stop there. In his Oct. 8 piece, Saad Yousuf wrote that Kansas City has the second-best chance to win the Super Bowl, while also suggesting the bye arrived at the right time.
"It’s rare for an early-season bye week to feel like the perfect time, but this really is a time the Chiefs need a week off," he wrote. "Kenneth Walker III has been great but the injuries last week to Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton are significant. Thornton is out for a while but the bye week could get Rice back in the lineup for an offense that is multi-dimensional and humming along."
In Other News...
Chiefs 4-0 Start Just Set Up Their First Real Test
The Chiefs have opened with four straight wins and now get an early Week 5 bye, a rare breather in a season that has already demanded plenty from a team trying to stay atop the AFC. It also gives Kansas City a chance to reset before the schedule tightens again, with a stretch of games ahead that includes road trips to Seattle and Denver.
The first real checkpoint after the break comes at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chargers are set to visit on Sunday, Oct. 18. From there, the Chiefs are headed into a long run without another off week, so this pause may feel more like a brief pause in the middle of the grind than a true break. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Kelce Is Caught In An Off-Field Fight Fans Didn't Expect
Travis Kelces life away from the Chiefs keeps drawing attention in northeast Ohio, where he and Taylor Swift own a mansion in Bratenahl. The latest wrinkle involves the kind of home-improvement project that usually stays quiet: a six-foot aluminum fence around the property and landscaping plans that would include planting about 50 trees. The fence appeal has already been approved, giving the couple at least one clear win in the process.
Now the focus has shifted to the rest of the proposal, and that is where nearby residents have concerns. Neighbors are raising questions about how the tree plan could affect local infrastructure, turning a private estate upgrade into a community issue that has lingered longer than expected. For Kelce, who is also a minority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers while still active with Kansas City, it is another reminder that his off-field profile can be just as visible as his work on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Already Hold Early AFC West Control For One Big Reason
After four weeks, the NFLs unbeaten list is down to three familiar names, and Kansas City is still right in the middle of it. The 49ers and Vikings get their shots at 5-0 in Week 5, while the Chiefs are on a bye and will have to wait another week to try to join them, but their start has already put them in an enviable spot as the season settles in.
For Kansas City, the bigger point is how quickly it has created separation in the AFC West. The Chiefs have already banked division wins against the Broncos and Raiders, and those early results matter just as much as the clean record next to their name. With the Colts and Dolphins also in the win column, the Chiefs have given themselves a sturdy early foundation, even if the next real checkpoint is still waiting after the break. [Read more 🡒]