The Kansas City Chiefs are in uncharted waters. For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, the AFC West is officially out of reach - and with a 6-7 record, the playoffs are hanging by a thread.
It's a stunning turn for a franchise that’s been the gold standard in the NFL for nearly a decade. But while the league rushes to write the Chiefs' obituary, not everyone’s ready to close the book on this dynasty just yet.
FS1’s Nick Wright, speaking on The Herd, offered some much-needed perspective by drawing a comparison between Mahomes and another quarterback who knows a thing or two about legacy: Tom Brady.
“Brady, who Mahomes is always compared to… in year seven played in a Super Bowl to win his fourth,” Wright said. “They lost and then over the next three years, the Patriots won zero playoff games and got blown out, including a loss to Mark Sanchez at home.”
The point? Even the greatest of all time hit a rough patch.
Brady’s Patriots went through a three-year playoff drought before reloading and dominating the league once again. Wright sees a similar rhythm in Mahomes’ journey.
“Mahomes played in a Super Bowl to win his fourth. They lost.
And right now they look like they’re going to miss the playoffs,” Wright continued. “It ebbs and flows.
For the first time in the Mahomes era, they are not a great team.”
That last line hits hard - but it’s true. This version of the Chiefs isn’t the juggernaut we’ve come to expect. The offense has struggled to find rhythm, the defense has bent more than usual, and the margin for error has all but disappeared.
Mahomes himself isn’t sugarcoating it. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the two-time MVP called this stretch “unprecedented territory” and emphasized the need for leadership inside the locker room. He pointed to veterans like Chris Jones and Travis Kelce - players who’ve been through the grind, the glory, and everything in between - as key voices to lean on in this moment.
Sunday’s loss to the Texans didn’t just sting - it sealed their fate in the division race. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Chiefs won’t be wearing the AFC West crown. And the numbers aren’t kind: most playoff models now give Kansas City just a 9.1% chance to sneak into the postseason.
Mahomes knows the odds. He’s not pretending otherwise.
“We know the chances are getting lower and lower,” he said after the game. “But I know the guys on this team are going to give everything they have.”
That’s not just lip service - that’s the tone of a leader who’s been to the mountaintop and isn’t ready to walk away quietly.
If there’s any reason for hope, it’s Mahomes’ playoff track record. He’s undefeated in both the Wild Card (2-0) and Divisional rounds (7-0). But getting there this year is going to take more than just belief - it’s going to take a near-perfect finish and a little help along the way.
Kansas City’s path is narrow, but not closed. They’ll need to win out - that means victories over the Chargers, Titans, Broncos, and Raiders.
That alone is a tall order, given the inconsistencies we’ve seen on both sides of the ball. But even a perfect finish won’t be enough unless other dominoes fall.
The Chargers need to stumble, the Colts must finish 9-8 or worse, and both the Ravens and Dolphins can’t afford to run the table.
It’s a long shot. But if there’s one quarterback you’d bet on to make magic out of mayhem, it’s Mahomes. And if there’s one team that knows how to rally when the lights are brightest, it’s Kansas City.
This season may not end with confetti falling at Arrowhead. But don’t mistake a down year for the end of an era. Dynasties don’t die in December - they reload.